ICEBERG A 76

  • May 21, 2021
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: DPN Topics
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ICEBERG A 76

Subject : Environment

Context : World’s largest iceberg breaks off in Antarctica as glaciers retreat.

Concept :

  • The Ice Berg A- 76 is 170 kilometres long and 25 kilometres wide. The ice berg was spotted by a European Space Agency satellite called Copernicus Sentinel. It is a two-satellite constellation that orbits the earth’s poles.
  • The Ice Berg is now floating on the Weddell Sea. Weddell Sea is a large bay in the Western Antarctic.
  • The satellites confirmed the observations made by British Antarctic Survey. The British Antarctic Survey was the first to notice the breakaway.

Impact of the ice berg on sea level

  • Every time an ice berg calves out from Antarctica, it adds up to the rising sea levels. However, in this case, the ice shelf from which this berg carved out was already floating on water.
  • The Ice Shelf from which A-76 calved out is called Ronne Ice Shelf.
Environment ICEBERG A 76