Envisat shows behemoth B-15A iceberg breaking up


30 October
 
The break-up of B-15A in progress off Cape Adare on 30 October 2005, as seen Envisat's ASAR in Wide Swath Mode.

3 November
 
Individual pieces of B-15A moving northward by currents from Cape Adare, 3 November, seen in this Envisat ASAR Global Monitoring Mode image. The knife-shaped iceberg towards the bottom of the image is B-15K, a separate iceberg from the original B-15 iceberg which is unconnected to the recent B-15A break-up.

Map
 
The 27-28 October break-up of B-15A occurred off Cape Adare, the northernmost extent of Queen Victoria Land, close to the former base of Cape Hallett. The original B-15 calved from the Ross Ice Shelf to the south, facing the Ross Sea, back in May 2000.

Radar monitoring of Antarctic ice
 
27 October
 
B-15A still appeared intact in this Envisat ASAR image acquired 27 October in Global Monitoring Mode.

28 October
 
The break-up of B-15A has started in this Envisat ASAR image acquired 28 October in Global Monitoring Mode. The splits are likely to have occurred along existing lines of weakness in the stranded iceberg.



Release date: 22 February 2008