Iceberg Breaks Off Mertz Glacier in the Antarctic (Photo, Video)

An iceberg breaks off Mertz Glacier in the Antarctic region. Scientists say this has nothing to do with global warming, climate change or this year’s cooling trend. It was just hit by another iceberg after having already been hit by yet another one and broke loose. You can see a satellite photo and a video below.

Mertz Glacier

A huge chunk of the Mertz Glacier Tongue broke off in the Antarctica region. The finger-like iceberg protruded from the glacier and is 985-square miles of ice. It is 48 miles long and 24 miles wide, according to Neal Young, Australian Antarctic Division glaciologist. It is said to be approximately the size of Oahu or Luxembourg. The break happened on February 12th and 13th.

The Times of London reported on Sunday that the split of this iceberg could disrupt global ocean patterns and weather systems for decades to come. It could block the production of cold, salty water gradually leading to colder winters in the North Atlantic over the next few decades. Scientist also say that it could have a negative impact on some of Antarctica’s wildlife, such as a large colony of emperor penguins who live near to where it broke off from the glacier. The break means they will have to travel farther to get food.

The protruding iceberg had already become dislodged from the glacier when it was hit by an older iceberg, known as the B9B, in 1987. That hit left the iceberg ‘hanging like a loose tooth’, according to Benoit Legresy of the Laboratory of Geophysics and Oceanographic Space Research in Toulouse, France. When it was hit again on February 12, 2010, it broke loose. Scientist say this has nothing to do with the global warming theories that have be prevalent in the last few years.

Legresy’s French team of scientists have collaborated with Young and his team of Australian scientists to monitor Mertz Glacier for about a decade.