In Antarctica, it completely disintegrated and collapsed into the sea – Denník N

In Antarctica, the Conger shelf glacier, with an area of ​​1,200 square kilometers, completely collapsed and collapsed into the sea, according to satellite images. In March, they recorded a wave of heat on the continent – normal temperatures for this region -51 degrees Celsius climbed to -12 degrees. When ice in Antarctica or Greenland slides into the ocean, it becomes a so-called shelf ice, which is in contact with the sea’s surface. Shelf glaciers are still associated with glaciers on land and play an important role in limiting their melting. Without them, under the influence of its own weight, inland ice moves faster and breaks into the ocean, thus contributing to rising ocean levels. A sign of what awaits us in the future The Conger Shelf Glacier, which was about the same size as Rome before it disintegrated, was relatively small, but according to NASA scientist Catherine Walker, its disintegration is “one of the most significant collapses of the glacier” in 20 years. According to Walker, this collapse is unlikely to have major consequences, but it is “a sign of what awaits us” due to climate change. “Ice shelves naturally lose mass over time – but a large collapse of the ice shelf is a very unusual event,” said Professor Andrew Mackintosh of Monash University in Australia. According to Mackinton, the disintegration of the shelf could have been caused by “surface heating due to the extremely high temperatures that have recently been observed in the area.” He added, however, that further research was needed. (guardian, tasr)