Iceberg the size of Singapore is adrift in Antarctica
In July, an iceberg the size of Singapore began to become detached from the Pine Island glacier, the largest in Antarctica, which is located in the western part. However, the ice around him prevented him from letting go completely of the glacier.However, with the arrival of summer at the South Pole, the ice started melting and iceberg freed completely. Since July that the iceberg, with approximately 700 square kilometres, is being monitored by Grant Brigg and Robert Marsh, professors at the universities of Sheffield and Southampton respectively."An iceberg this size can survive a year or more and can drive North, disturbing the sea lanes of the Antarctic Ocean and South Atlantic," says Robert Marsh, quoted by CNN. According to Brigg, "in recent days, the iceberg began moving and there is now a kilometre or two of water between the block and the glacier".The slot in the Pine Island glacier was first detected by a NASA satellite, in October 2011. The iceberg that now came loose it was detected by a German satellite. According to Bigg, a block of ice has been identified in the Drake Passage, between Cape Horn, South America, and the South Shetland Islands in Antarctica. If the iceberg moves in the same trajectory there is a possibility the international sea lanes from the South being disturbed. If scientists discover that the iceberg is moving in the direction of these routes will be issued an international alert.The Pine Island glacier is the largest in Antarctica and also what circulates faster, about four kilometres per year towards the Amundsen sea. This glacier give off large icebergs every six or ten years. The latest losses occurred in 2001 and 2007.Scientists believe that this is a natural process and should not be linked directly to climate change. This is the first time that an iceberg with such dimensions will be monitored.
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