Hot summers require icy cold beverages. Apparently anticipating the
up-coming global demand for ice cold cola, Mother Nature has broken a
Connecticut-sized ice cube off of the Antarctic's Ross Ice Shelf--enough ice to
chill even the most energetic soda drinker's beverages for a season.According to Matthew Lazzara, a scientist at University of Wisconsin-Madison's Antarctic Meteorological Research Center, "This is a very big iceberg, close to a record if not a new record. It's not often that you see them of this magnitude."
To be more precise, the iceberg is 295 kilometers in length and 37 kilometers wide--an area of 11,000 square kilometers.
The BBC reports that the process that caused the ice to break free of the Ross Ice Shelf is entirely normal and is not due to global warming. Scientists plan to keep a very close watch on the state-sized iceberg because its large size could mean a long life span--a potential problem if it begins to float north towards warmer, busier, waters.
For the most recent images of the iceberg, visit: http://uwamrc.ssec.wis c.edu/amrc/iceberg.html.
