Big chunk of Antarctic ice shelf falling apart

A section of Antarctica's massive Wilkins Ice Shelf has begun disintegrating under the effects of global warming, satellite images by the University of Colorado's National Snow and Ice Data Center showed.

The collapse of a substantial section of the ice shelf was triggered on February 28 when an iceberg measuring 41 by 2.4 kilometers (25.5 by 1.5 miles) broke off its southwestern front.

That movement led to disintegration of the shelf's interior, of which 414 square kilometers (160 square miles) has already disappeared.

As a result, a large part of the 12,950 square kilometer (5,000 square mile) Wilkins Ice Shelf -- Antarctica's largest ---- is now supported by a 5.6 kilometer (3.5 mile) strip of ice between two islands, NSIDC lead scientist Ted Scambos was quoted by AFP as saying in a statement.

"If there is a little bit more retreat, this last 'ice buttress' could collapse and we'd likely lose about half the total ice shelf area in the next few years," he said.