Scientists find evidence that meltwater is fracturing ice shelves in ...
Increased temperatures from climate change cause ponds that weaken ice, expedition finds
news.uchicago.eduI don’t have live feed access in this moment, but I can share the latest widely reported developments on Antarctic ice shelves up to the near-present and how to verify if you’d like.
Brief answer
Context and what’s been observed recently
Calving events: Ice shelves in Antarctica frequently calve large icebergs as part of their natural lifecycle, though climate change is increasing meltwater-driven weakening in some locations. Recent summaries have highlighted Brunt and Larsen shelves as being particularly scrutinized for rapid changes due to rifts and meltwater loading [web sources tracking Antarctic shelf dynamics]. If you want, I can pull the most current institutional briefings or peer-reviewed updates to confirm whether a specific shelf has an active calving event right now.
Brunt Ice Shelf: The Brunt shelf has been the focus of continued monitoring because of long-standing rifts and recent break-offs in adjacent years. NASA and BAS have reported firsthand observations of large iceberg formation associated with this region, underscoring ongoing instability despite its size and complexity [web sources on Brunt Ice Shelf activity].
Larsen C region: Larsen C’s calving history has included major events in the 2010s, and ongoing monitoring continues to assess whether new calving could occur beneath observed fractures. News outlets and scientific teams have periodically updated the status of this area as new cracks evolve [web sources discussing Larsen C calving history and monitoring].
Where to find the latest, authoritative updates
Would you like me to fetch the current reports from NASA, BAS, and a couple of university groups to provide a precise, up-to-date snapshot with dates, locations, and iceberg sizes? I can also summarize any recent peer-reviewed findings and provide direct citations.
Increased temperatures from climate change cause ponds that weaken ice, expedition finds
news.uchicago.eduA long-watched rift has spawned an iceberg about twice the size of New York City.
science.nasa.govScientists say a crack along a key floating ice shelf in Antarctica indicates that a vast iceberg is close to breaking off.
apnews.comAt this rate, scientists expect the remnants of the ice shelf to vanish entirely as early as 2020
www.cbsnews.comThis is the second time in two years that the Brunt Ice Shelf has had a major break-off.
www.cbsnews.comA team of scientists from UCL, the University of Cambridge and the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) are studying the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica to unravel the mysteries behind the calving processes that result in the formation of colossal icebergs.
www.ucl.ac.uk