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Earth from Space: Splitting iceberg

14 March 2008

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Envisat's Medium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS) sensor captures the break up of the massive A53A iceberg located just east of the South Georgia Island (visible at image bottom) in the southern Atlantic Ocean. Both bergs are estimated to measure around 30 km in length. As a reference, South Georgia Island is approximately 180-km long.

Credits: ESA

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South Georgia Island and the A53A iceberg

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On 1 March 2008 Envisat's Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) instrument spotted a huge fissure running south to north through the massive A53A iceberg located just east of the South Georgia Island (visible at image bottom) in the southern Atlantic Ocean. ASAR is able to produce high-quality images of icebergs and ice sheets and is capable of differentiating between different types of ice because it is able to see through clouds and local darkness – conditions often found in polar areas.

Credits: ESA