What is the size and location of the icebergs? How old are they? What else do you know about them?

1. Why is it called B-15?

2. Where is the iceberg that started all the buzz?

3. What is the longitude and latitude of the portion of the Ross Ice Shelf that broke off?

4. How about B-17?

5. What about the little bergs breaking from B-17?

6. Please tell me what are the estimated dimensions of the enormous iceberg? With the polar projection, it is difficult to determine actual length.

7. What percentage of square mile available ice to be able to become iceberg material was this sliver measuring 186 by 22 miles?

8. What percentage of ice is above and below sea level? What percentage of the berg was submerged in water before it calved?

9. Where is this "berg birthing site" located in relation to Shackelton's 1907 expedition base?

10. I would like to know if there is any land mass? How deep is the ocean there? How thick is the ice? Is the ice sweet water? If so, is this ice formed only from rain fall? And finally, how old is the oldest ice?

11. How deep do you think it goes?

12. What's the average thickness of B-15?

13. How much new water will be added to the oceans of the earth?

14. The ocean looks partially frozen above the iceberg, is this correct?

15. How old is the ice that comprises the iceberg?

16. How much fresh water does this latest iceberg contain if it melted?

17. Do you think that this iceberg is the biggest one yet?

18. My understanding is that icebergs from the Arctic are much smaller as they are often a result of glacier fragmentation. The Antarctic one appears to be somewhat different in origin. Am I correct in that observation

19. Your satellite images of B-15, and B-16 are very impressive. However, there is no representation of scale. 295 x 37 km is obviously very, very big...but how big? If you overlaid the big berg over, say the California coast...what would it look like? Some representation of how big this really is would be very helpful.

20. How would it compare to the state of Ohio?

21. What's the life expectancy of B-15, the largest iceberg to have formed this season?

22. How common is an iceberg, much less of this magnitude?

How long will it take for Antarctica to replace this much ice?

In terms of size is this one unusual? How normal is this?

1. Has there been a significant increase in the number and size of icebergs in recent years?

2. Haven’t two big icebergs broken off in a very short time? Should we expect more of the same, and if so, will temperature and sea level change?

How do icebergs form?

1. What does calving mean, in regard to icebergs?

2. Is it true that B-15 crashed into B-16, B-17, B-18?

Where will the iceberg(s) go?

1. What becomes of the icebergs after they break off?

2. Which direction will B-15 take? What will be the approximate locations (and conditions) of Icebergs B15 and B16 in six (6) months? What is the expected track of these icebergs during the next 12 months? Is there any way of projecting their route from this point? What is the normal migratory pattern of icebergs from this area? Has an estimate of B-15 drift rate been calculated?

3. What is the projected path of floatation and at what latitude would you expect it to melt?

4. When this iceberg breaks free, how far could it drift and how long will it last?

5. The icebergs are moving apart and out to sea. Are they heading for McMurdo Station?

6. Does the slush, or sea ice, north of the Ross Ice Shelf keep the iceberg near the shelf or will it drift out to sea?

What will the iceberg do? Will it cause harm?

1. Will ocean levels continue to rise should this type of condition continually occur? If an iceberg of this size crashes into the continental U.S.A., will any destruction occur? What possible consequences can occur with this sole piece of ice breaking off, what could occur should this phenomenon continually occur? What effects will this iceberg have on the climate of North America? How soon will the effects begin?

2. Will it interfere with shipping or bump into land?

3. If an iceberg of this size crashes into the continental U.S.A., will any destruction occur?

4. When and if it strikes land is it big enough to jar the earth plates?

5. Could one scenario be not the melting of the ice caps (because this would raise the atmospheric humidity causing more precipitation and subsequently cooler temperatures) but the breaking apart of it into chunks?

6. What effects will this iceberg have on the climate of North America? How soon will the effects begin?

7. How will this affect the world?

8. Are we to really believe this thing could actually block shipping lanes? After all, what is a few miles when placed against the backdrop of the ocean?

9. What kind of danger does this pose? I know, of course, shipping lanes, but what else?

10. This huge chunk of ice breaking off is an exact copy of the book Icefire. I was wondering if there will be any type of wave caused by this huge chunk of ice breaking off?

11. Is this thing likely to cause a tidal wave when it breaks away?

12. Will this berg have any effect on the Earth's rotation if it doesn't melt in warmer water? Being this large and floating around the seas, could it cause a wobble? Does this amount of redistributed mass have any appreciable effect on the wobblies of the earth?

What effect will the icebergs’ melting have on rainfall, sea level, etc.? Did the sea level rise in New Zealand? Did the sea level rise in Japan?

1. Here in the Great Lakes region our lake levels are down drastically—Does not rainfall come from evaporation of lake waters? Will this affect the rain fall amount?

2. Hypothetically, if this iceberg were to melt overnight what low lying areas would see the most destruction/flooding? What effects will the icebergs have as they get closer to warm waters and melt? Will water rise enough to endanger shorelines and coastal regions, at least in the area it is in? Will this iceberg raise the level of the oceans? If so, by how much?

3. Are you aware of any models of sea level rise have been developed as a function of this iceberg's eventual melt. I am actually quite interested in models of glacial melt predictions over time.

4. Will the B-15 iceberg have the same effect as an ice cube in a glass of water; i.e., as it melts it does not affect the level of the water because its volume has already been displaced while in the solid state.

5. Is the Ross Iceberg on solid land, or is it in water? If it’s in water, then it will not affect the level of the oceans. If it falls off solid land, it will affect the level of the oceans because it will add (displace) its volume in the water.

6. Is this the same iceberg that is supposed to displace water and cause flooding in the coastal region of the Pacific Northwest?

Can we use the icebergs for fresh drinking water?

1. Many U.S. states and other countries need fresh water—how possible is it to maneuver this size berg into a position near those states? This iceberg is just going to melt, and go into the ocean, anyway, so we should use it by covering it in insulating bubble wrap, towing it up the Mississippi river, and using it for irrigation water in the Midwest, which needs some water this year.

2. What could we do to relocate it to say, Saudi Arabia?

3. Could ice this large be directed toward a gainful destination? By selectively chipping away at it, could the route be affected? Erecting or shaping wind "sails" out of the ice, could any control be had over its progress? Could it feasibly be "moored" or sequestered to give more time for study and/or limit rapid dispersion?

In all the news stories about this, I could not find a reference to any animals on the iceberg. Would your group have any information on this?

1. Are there any penguins or other animals on this new iceberg, and what will happen to them if the icebergs floats away from where it broke off?

2. Would animals on the iceberg drown at sea when the ice melts or go so far from their food source that they starve?

3. Does anybody keep track of size and movement of icebergs? Does anyone plot the total surface area (i.e., square miles) over time of the icebergs "calving" off Antarctica, or (even better) the total cubic area (i.e. cubic miles) over time.

What caused the iceberg to break off? Was there an earthquake or what caused the fissure?

1. Was there a known river of ice coinciding with the fissures path?

2. I'd like to find out whether there are, in fact, other factors involved besides global warming and, if so, how much of an influence these other factors might be in what takes place and in what you predict might take place.

What sort of environmental implications does this have?

1. Reuters reported that big icebergs were coming off the Antarctic continent. The reports said that there were several factors contributing to this, among them, global warming. They ALWAYS say global warming, but never indicate what other factors may be involved.

2. I am particularly interested in rising ocean levels due to melting and what this will do to coastal areas. I am also curious about results of fresh water mixing with salt water and marine life in the area.

3. Is global warming responsible for this? Is the calving related to global change? There will certainly be a cooling feedback effect on global warming. How much? Local salinity changes? How long since this water was a part of the mobile H2O in the biosphere? How long do we have? Will it dissipate in months, years or ? Is there active drilling going on to obtain and preserve whatever historical record may be contained within the ice? Seismic, acoustic, motion monitoring?

4. What could occur should this phenomenon continually occur?

5. Does any of your research look into the temperature of the deep parts of the ocean that are supposedly rising? Separating scientific fact and research from mainstream media is becoming increasingly difficult.

6. Is it not true that if enough breaks away ,then the shift in weight could cause the planet to shift slightly on its axis,with terrible following results?

7. Have you read Clive Cussler's Atlantis Found, a [science] fiction novel he wrote in 1999? It centers around this exact event occurring, with World-Wide cataclysmic results. I'm sure the science world and government wouldn't want to start a panic, but what effect could this have on our environment, and/or the earth's rotational axis, if any? I'm sure any response would be conjecture, but what concerns do you have?

8. Do these icebergs in any way represent a rise in ocean height or change any weather patterns?

9. Does what you wrote about Antarctica hold for the Arctic?

10. Is the polar icecap breaking up? Will it have an effect on the world's weather?

What will happen or is happening to the icebergs?

1. The latest images show a relatively small section broken off of the western portion of the main iceberg

2. When will the big iceberg, B-15, break up?

3. Is it likely, because of the exaggerated oblong shape of the main iceberg, that it won't remain one large iceberg for long?

4. Do we think the Ross ice shelf is breaking up?

5. Your models show the effect of tides alone on the predicted movement of the iceberg. Given that the ice sheet had a "static strength" set at sea level in bygone eons, I wonder if the berg would sink lower than the ice sheet when released and the tides would have the greater impact, or if the iceberg would float higher than the ice sheet when it was relaxed from the constraints of the whole and if the prevailing winds play a marked role in its movement.

Does the size of this iceberg offer any unique research opportunities?

1. Did scientists know this would happen?

2. How is the University of WI involved? Are other universities/researchers following its movement?

3. Why can’t you just take data on cubic volume and information about the total number (and size) of all recently calved 'bergs from Antarctica, plug into a spreadsheet, and make some accurate predictions?

4. I was interested in what the accepted academic interpretation of recent global weather events is. I was also interested in the whole ice pack phenomenon after reading about polar icepack reduction in the Russian Arctic. I thought that it was interesting that the scientists said that the reduction in the ice was due to dams reducing the flow of rivers and thus the protective fresh water shield that they normally provide to the polar icepack. I assume from your response that there has not been any substantial overall change in the polar ice pack area in Antarctica. I guess I am relieved to hear this. Is it suggested that change in polar ice area is an increment to global weather change (cooler or hotter)?

5. Are we doing what can be done to know as much as we can? Is there an international effort to combine resources to fund study for this? It will require a sizable chunk of change to salvage the perishable knowledge … How about if we form an emergency funding machine and get the citizens of the world to chip in? Governments can act, but will they? Can the bureaucracy respond in time to make the difference that needs to be made? Perhaps the imagination of the public could be put to great good use. Funding experts might enjoy the challenge of forming a quick-response mechanism for this type of event. Million-year-old glacial milk as souvenirs? Probably pretty pure. At least peculiar. If 8 counties of Iowa were about to disappear, we would have to agree that we don't know enough about it to let go without taking a very good last look. … Could someone in your study group form a team to explore?

How do you monitor the icebergs from Wisconsin?

1. How does one find out if there is an iceberg if you are in the United States? What equipment would you use?

2. What satellites do you use and why?

3. What’s the name and number of the satellite that imaged the giant icebergs (especially B-15 and B-16)?

4. Is it the first time that a satellite has observed an iceberg peeling off an ice shelf?

5. What’s the value of satellite imagery in observing the iceberg?

6. How do scientists look for icebergs in satellite imagery?

7. Are other sites monitoring the weather stations and icebergs that appear on your Web page?

8. Are you permanently monitoring this area?

9. Will we be able to watch this iceberg float away?

10. How high does a polar-orbiting satellite orbit?

11. Why do some of the iceberg images look upside down? And sometime backwards?

12. Why do the geographical lines jump around from image to image? Why is the iceberg south of -78 in the 16:38UTC image, at -78 in the 9:19UTC image, and south -78 again in the 09:49 image? Why does the navigation (map outline) look rock steady, while the surface features don't? I'm not a POES user.

13. I've been visiting the iceberg page daily, and have hoped for more pictures. Do you get them daily? For a while, new ones were posted every day.

How was the iceberg discovered?

1. Who discovered the icebergs? How?

2. When did your research center discover the broken-apart phase of the iceberg? Who discovered B-15?

Where can I learn more about icebergs? And other unanswered questions

1. How does this massive chunk compare to the total annual global calving? To the build-up of replacement ice? Are you able to estimate the weight of this? Some links to ongoing study? Is there any Web site that keeps track of ice shelves, etc.? For both the Antarctic and Greenland?

2. Where can I find out more about the Ross Ice Shelf?

3. What media have covered the icebergs?

What do you see as this event’s significance?

1. Is this a historical crisis?

What is the size and location of the icebergs? How old are they? What else do you know about them?

Why is it called B-15?

Icebergs are operationally monitored by the National Ice Center here in the U.S. The Center has developed a system for naming them, and typically the research community has followed NIC's naming.

Where is the iceberg that started all the buzz?

B-15 stretches from about 165W to 177W and is in the eastern part of the Ross Ice Shelf, on the same side as Marie Byrd Land.

What is the longitude and latitude of the portion of the Ross Ice Shelf that broke off?

B-15 is centered on 78:22:22 South and 168:34:12 West. (This is in degrees, minutes and seconds.)

How about B-17?

Satellite imagery from April 3, 2000, taken at UTC 0950 showed the position to be 7816S 16227W. It is 51x15NM in size.

What about the little bergs breaking from B-17?

The National Ice Center, who names and tracks all Arctic and Antarctic icebergs, only labels and tracks icebergs that are greater than 10 nm (nautical miles) at the longest axis.

Please tell me what are the estimated dimensions of the enormous iceberg? With the polar projection, it is difficult to determine actual length.

The measurements from satellite are ~300 km by ~37 km or around 180 mi by 22 mi.

What percentage of square mile available ice to be able to become iceberg material was this sliver measuring 186 by 22 miles?

About 1/3 of the ice front along the Ross Ice Shelf.

What percentage of ice is above and below sea level? What percentage of the berg was submerged in water before it calved?

About 80 to 90 percent is below the sea level, or below the water.

Where is this "berg birthing site" located in relation to Shackelton's 1907 expedition base?

If I have the correct location of his 1907 expedition, it is about 200 to 300 miles away. However, I'm not sure of the details of Shackleton's 1907 expedition.

I would like to know if there is any land mass? How deep is the ocean there? How thick is the ice? Is the ice sweet water? If so, is this ice formed only from rain fall? And finally, how old is the oldest ice?

With regards to any land mass, the iceberg does not include any land mass. The ocean in that area is on the order of 1500 to 2000 feet. The ice is about 1300 feet below the water, and about 50 to 100 feet above the water. This ice is formed from snowfall on the continent that moves slowly off the sides of Antarctica, and out towards the sea. I am not sure of the exact age of the oldest ice.

How deep do you think it goes?

We have estimated, based on ships that went by some years ago, that it is about 50 to 100 feet above the water, and about 1400 feet below the water, about 1500 feet thick.

What's the average thickness of B-15?

B-15 is about 400 meters thick below the water, and about 30 meters above the water. Some variability may occur based on "other stuff" making up an iceberg—it isn't all snow, ice and water. There is glacial debrie embedded as well, sort of a "dirty" snow/ice.

How much new water will be added to the oceans of the earth?

The back of the envelope calculation shows that there is about 1,000 trillion gallons of water in this iceberg, but it’s not "new." It’s been in the hydrological cycle.

The iceberg contains sufficient water to provide 5 inches of water for the agricultural land of the earth or about 0.5 inches on the land area of the earth.

The ocean looks partially frozen above the iceberg, is this correct?

That is the "annual" sea ice, that forms and melts every year.

How old is the ice that comprises the iceberg?

This ice is fairly old, on the order of 100s of years old.

How much fresh water does this latest iceberg contain if it melted?

More than 1000 trillion gallons of water.

Do you think that this iceberg is the biggest one yet?

This is close to being the biggest one yet, but one noted in 1956 is probably bigger.

My understanding is that icebergs from the Arctic are much smaller as they are often a result of glacier fragmentation. The Antarctic one appears to be somewhat different in origin. Am I correct in that observation

This iceberg broke from an ice shelf, which is a little different than most Arctic icebergs, I suspect.

Your satellite images of B-15, and B-16 are very impressive. However, there is no representation of scale. 295 x 37 km is obviously very, very big...but how big? If you overlaid the big berg over, say the California coast...what would it look like? Some representation of how big this really is would be very helpful.

The very large image of the first NOAA-12 B-15 image does have a scale marker. With regards to its size against the California coast, it is the distance from LA to SAN LUIS OBISPO.

How would it compare to the state of Ohio?

It is nearly the entire length of the state along the lakeshore of Lake Erie (actually a bit longer than that).

What's the life expectancy of B-15, the largest iceberg to have formed this season?

It will last months to more likely years.

How common is an iceberg, much less of this magnitude?

Small bergs a few miles across are very common and we have a large one like 100 miles long about every 10 to 15 years. The last one to break off of the Ross Ice Shelf was in 1987 and was about 1/2 the size of this one

How long will it take for Antarctica to replace this much ice?

In terms of size is this one unusual? How normal is this?

Has there been a significant increase in the number and size of icebergs in recent years?

In fact, global warming appears to not be responsible for this at this time. This is a naturally occuring event that we are seeing, although this is a one in 50 to 100 year event. Actually this part of Antarctica has not seen an iceberg of this magnitude in about that amount of time. So, we are due for this to occur. Perhaps if there are more of these, more often and of a similar size, then we can perhaps talk about why it is occurring.

Haven’t two big icebergs broken off in a very short time? Should we expect more of the same, and if so, will temperature and sea level change?

Actually, it isn't two big bergs—the other iceberg, B-10A, from this portion of Antarctic is much smaller than this. The Ross Ice Shelf was overdue to have this occur. We seem to be catching a one in 50-to-100-years event taking place. This will not have any effect on temperatures or sea levels at all.

How do icebergs form?

The Antarctic continent is 4000 meters or 13,120 feet high and contains 75 percent of the world's fresh water as ice. The ice is flowing from the highest point to the ocean but very slowly. The ice shelf responds to the tides in the area and twice each day it is lifted and sinks about a foot. This continuous flexing causes the ice shelf to break at a weak point decided by the ice shelf. If the ice did not flow off of Antarctica all the water in the oceans eventually would be deposited there. (Charles Stearns)

What does calving mean, in regard to icebergs?

Calving simply means that a piece of an ice sheet is breaking off.

Is it true that B-15 crashed into B-16, B-17, B-18?

B-15 and B-16 broke off the same day...but yes, B-15 "bumped" into the Ross Ice Shelf and created B-17 and B-18. B-18 started life as a piece of B-17.

Where will the iceberg(s) go?

The last iceberg that broke off the Ross Ice Shelf was in 1987 and was about 1/2 the size of this one. It wandered to the west very slowly and eventualy moved north and around Cape Adare and continued west while it slowly melted. I expect this iceberg to follow the same track. I also expect it to break into two or three pieces. There are places in the Ross Sea that are shallow enough that the ice berg will hang up on them before getting to McMurdo Sound. Also Beaufort Island and Franklin Island are in the way.

What becomes of the icebergs after they break off?

After the icebergs break off, they start to move with the tides, the ocean currents, and minor effects from the wind and rotation of the earth. To see more, check out the movies at: http://amrc.ssec.wisc.edu/iceberg.html

Which direction will B-15 take? What will be the approximate locations (and conditions) of Icebergs B15 and B16 in six (6) months? What is the expected track of these icebergs during the next 12 months? Is there any way of projecting their route from this point? What is the normal migratory pattern of icebergs from this area? Has an estimate of B-15 drift rate been calculated?

To learn more about its motion, please see:

http://amrc.ssec.wisc.edu/iceberg.html

Our best guess so far is that it will move to the west, and slowly at that. Douglas MacAyeal and his research group at the University of Chicago are modeling the movements of (B-15 especially)—taking satellite observations and working to numerically simulate on computer the motions of the iceberg. We know it will melt and break up but, because of its size, that will take time. It will float in the Ross Sea for some time—months to even years. The motion animations will be updated as the U.Chicago group gets more data.

It won't move fast at all, and it will be affected by the sea ice (annual ice) in the area, as well as the tides, ocean currents, the rotation of the earth, and the wind. It will take months to see much progress.

What is the projected path of floatation and at what latitude would you expect it to melt?

The projected path is something my colleagues at the University of Chicago are working on as we speak. We suspect an initial westward movement, but it will move very slowly.

When this iceberg breaks free, how far could it drift and how long will it last?

It has broken free already, but it hasn't moved out of its "parking spot" yet (April 25, 2000). It could drift a fair distance, but it will be a very slow process, lasting months to more likely years.

The icebergs are moving apart and out to sea. Are they heading for McMurdo Station?

Getting all the way to McMurdo isn't realistic, but plugging up the outlet to the open ocean is. B-15 is ahead (west) of the smaller bergs (B-17, B-18 and others forming). McMurdo lies west of all the icebergs (except B-16). We don't know precisely what will happen, but possibly B-16 and B-18 will be moot. B-15 has a good chance to get in the way of shipping at McMurdo and B-17 could be a spoiler. We'll see. B-15 is still keeping B-17 in "check" for the moment (April 25, 2000).

Does the slush, or sea ice, north of the Ross Ice Shelf keep the iceberg near the shelf or will it drift out to sea?

That slush does indeed affect the motion of the iceberg—it will act to slow its movement. However, it will not stop it from its general forward progression.

What will the iceberg do? Will it cause harm?

Will ocean levels continue to rise should this type of condition continually occur? If an iceberg of this size crashes into the continental U.S.A., will any destruction occur? What possible consequences can occur with this sole piece of ice breaking off, what could occur should this phenomenon continually occur? What effects will this iceberg have on the climate of North America? How soon will the effects begin?

I'm not sure we will see any direct effects. This event is slow in unfolding as well—it will take months to years to melt this iceberg.

Will it interfere with shipping or bump into land?

It (B-15) has the potential to affect shipping to the Antarctic research station in the area, namely, McMurdo Station, Antarctica. It will be weeks or months before we find out if that is the case.

If an iceberg of this size crashes into the continental U.S.A., will any destruction occur?

Most likely, the only continent to be affected will be Antarctica, and perhaps its coast. Geophysicists at the University of Chicago are studying the iceberg motions.

http://amrc.ssec.wisc.edu/iceberg.html

When and if it strikes land is it big enough to jar the earth plates?

If and when it does hit land, I don't think it will affect the earth's plates. (It will probably melt first.)

Could one scenario be not the melting of the ice caps (because this would raise the atmospheric humidity causing more precipitation and subsequently cooler temperatures) but the breaking apart of it into chunks?

No, this activity is a continuous part of the hydrological cycle. As the snow and ice accumulate on the Antarctic continent, it slowly flows off the continent, and calves off as icebergs.

What effects will this iceberg have on the climate of North America? How soon will the effects begin?

Probably none, certainly not in the short term and not at all directly.

How will this affect the world?

Actually, there will be, certainly for now, no serious world-wide consequences. This is a natural event.

Are we to really believe this thing could actually block shipping lanes? After all, what is a few miles when placed against the backdrop of the ocean?

It actually does have the possibility of blocking the resupply route to McMurdo Station Antarctica, with this iceberg possibly wedging itself between the Ross Ice Shelf and the Victoria Land part of Antarctica.

What kind of danger does this pose? I know, of course, shipping lanes, but what else?

Not much else. In a few months to a year it may pose a threat to the shipping lanes that resupply and refuel McMurdo Station, but other than that there is no immediate threat.

This huge chunk of ice breaking off is an exact copy of the book Icefire. I was wondering if there will be any type of wave caused by this huge chunk of ice breaking off?

This iceberg did not make a wave of any sort when it broke off. Since the Ross Ice Shelf is already floating, it is more of a separation than a "falling."

Is this thing likely to cause a tidal wave when it breaks away?

This iceberg has been working its way towards breaking away for some time. It is a slow process and not very dramatic—no tidal wave will be created.

Will this berg have any effect on the Earth's rotation if it doesn't melt in warmer water? Being this large and floating around the seas, could it cause a wobble? Does this amount of redistributed mass have any appreciable effect on the wobblies of the earth?

This iceberg will have no effects on Earth’s rotation.

What effect will the icebergs’ melting have on rainfall, sea level, etc.? Did the sea level rise in New Zealand? Did the sea level rise in Japan?

There is no significant sea level rise related to this iceberg that we know of, as it is already floating in the water, and was before it broke away from the Ross Ice Shelf.

Here in the Great Lakes region our lake levels are down drastically—Does not rainfall come from evaporation of lake waters? Will this affect the rain fall amount?

Unfortunately, this iceberg will melt very, very slowly—over the course of months to years. The water this adds to the environment will be small enough not to have an impact on rainfall in the Great Lakes Basin. Other important factors will affect rainfall over the Great Lakes.

Hypothetically, if this iceberg were to melt overnight what low lying areas would see the most destruction/flooding?

Will this iceberg raise the level of the oceans? If so, by how much?

Since it is already floating in the ocean, it will not add to the sea level, even if it did melt overnight.

Are you aware of any models of sea level rise have been developed as a function of this iceberg's eventual melt. I am actually quite interested in models of glacial melt predictions over time.

Actually, this iceberg is not expected to cause any significant sea level rises at all. The iceberg is already floating in the ocean, and actually it was already doing that when it was a part of the Ross Ice Shelf before it broke away.

Will the B-15 iceberg have the same effect as an ice cube in a glass of water; i.e., as it melts it does not affect the level of the water because its volume has already been displaced while in the solid state.

Iceberg B-15 is going to melt very, very slowly, over many months to years. In fact, icebergs of this size may be around for years. So, with such a long time to melt, it will not have a big impact on sea level. The effects are not dramatic, other than that the Ross Ice Shelf is now about 37 km further south than it used to be! The iceberg(s) will have little effect on sea level. In the area it is in, an iceberg will have an effect. Initially, the greatest effect is that the Ross Ice Shelf just got moved back about 22 miles to the south! Next, as the iceberg moves out of its "parking spot," it will start to bump along the coast as it goes. That action my have some effects. I don't know how dramatic yet, but it will do something.

It may completely melt away, and if it does, it will take months to more likely years for this to occur. There is also a chance that it will affect more commercial waters, but we really won't know if it will for months to years to come. An iceberg of this size will be slow moving initially, so it isn't easy to know for sure its future affects with regards to lifetime or more northerly shipping effects.

Is the Ross Iceberg on solid land, or is it in water? If it’s in water, then it will not affect the level of the oceans. If it falls off solid land, it will affect the level of the oceans because it will add (displace) its volume in the water.

The iceberg is in the water.

Is this the same iceberg that is supposed to displace water and cause flooding in the coastal region of the Pacific Northwest?

Actually, no iceberg that I know of will displace water or cause flooding in coastal regions of the Pacific Northwest.

Can we use the icebergs for fresh drinking water?

Many U.S. states and other countries need fresh water—how possible is it to maneuver this size berg into a position near those states?

This iceberg is just going to melt, and go into the ocean, anyway, so we should use it by covering it in insulating bubble wrap, towing it up the Mississippi river, and using it for irrigation water in the Midwest, which needs some water this year.

While this may seem like a good idea, it’s pretty impractical due to its size.

What could we do to relocate it to say, Saudi Arabia?

The iceberg has broken off, but due to its size, location, other natural obstacles, and limited abilities compared to nature, it is unlikely for humans to be able to move such a berg to Saudi Arabia.

Could ice this large be directed toward a gainful destination? By selectively chipping away at it, could the route be affected? Erecting or shaping wind "sails" out of the ice, could any control be had over its progress? Could it feasibly be "moored" or sequestered to give more time for study and/or limit rapid dispersion?

Such a large berg cannot be moved with our current capabilities. It’s almost the size of Long Island.

In all the news stories about this, I could not find a reference to any animals on the iceberg. Would your group have any information on this?

I'm unaware of what could be on the iceberg. I'm sure there are whales (orca) in the area. I am not aware of any seal colonies or penguin rookeries in this part of Antarctica (since much smaller icebergs often form here).

Are there any penguins or other animals on this new iceberg, and what will happen to them if the icebergs floats away from where it broke off?

If there were any wildlife on the iceberg, they may not have noticed this, since the iceberg has been slowly breaking away, and only recently definitively broken away. The iceberg will float away very, very slowly taking weeks to move a few miles.

Would animals on the iceberg drown at sea when the ice melts or go so far from their food source that they starve?

Since this iceberg is such a slow mover, wildlife will be able to adjust before any of that happens.

Does anybody keep track of size and movement of icebergs?

Does anyone plot the total surface area (i.e., square miles) over time of the icebergs "calving" off Antarctica, or (even better) the total cubic area (i.e. cubic miles) over time.

The National Ice Center is the closest to having a mission that does that.

(www.natice.noaa.gov).

What caused the iceberg to break off? Was there an earthquake or what caused the fissure?

There is no known earthquake that I know of.

Was there a known river of ice coinciding with the fissures path?

The fissure has been slowly developing over years. I do not know of any river connected to it.

I'd like to find out whether there are, in fact, other factors involved besides global warming and, if so, how much of an influence these other factors might be in what takes place and in what you predict might take place.

The primary factor in iceberg generation is that it is a part of the hydrological cycle. Snow (and not that much) falls on the steep and high continent of Antarctica. This snow doesn't melt much, and forms a thick ice cap (up to 3 km thick in places) that moves about a half a mile a year towards the sea, and breaks off icebergs.

What sort of environmental implications does this have?

Reuters reported that big icebergs were coming off the Antarctic continent. The reports said that there were several factors contributing to this, among them, global warming. They ALWAYS say global warming, but never indicate what other factors may be involved.

The Reuters report of the new iceberg was incorrectly linked to global warming. This is actually a naturally occurring event that is overdue to take place. The new icebergs were broken off by the big iceberg B-15 that broke off in mid-March.

I am particularly interested in rising ocean levels due to melting and what this will do to coastal areas. I am also curious about results of fresh water mixing with salt water and marine life in the area.

As it turns out, this event is not global warming related, rather this is a natural progression, a part of the hydrological cycle. This is a one in 50 to 100 year event, and it has been about that long since we've seen a berg of this size. Regarding ocean levels, it should not have any significant effect that we know of. As for wildlife, there is not much in the way of wildlife in the area. The movements of the iceberg should be slow enough for any wildlife to react to it.

Is global warming responsible for this? Is the calving related to global change? There will certainly be a cooling feedback effect on global warming. How much? Local salinity changes? How long since this water was a part of the mobile H2O in the biosphere? How long do we have? Will it dissipate in months, years or ? Is there active drilling going on to obtain and preserve whatever historical record may be contained within the ice? Seismic, acoustic, motion monitoring?

Short answer: No, this is not a signal of global change. No, the ice shelf is not breaking up. No, we can't tell what will happen next (whether there will be more frequent calvings.)

This iceberg will have no effect on global warming. This is a natural part of the hydrological cycle. This part of Antarctica breaks off an iceberg this size every 50 to 100 years. The last large iceberg was seen in 1956, so we’re about due.

Iceberg calving of this massive scale, if it occurs more frequently than what is required by the status quo (i.e., once every 50 to 100 years), would indeed be a sign of "global change", and could indeed be a response to environmental change in the Antarctic. Our limited experience with iceberg calving (it has occurred rather infrequently, as it should, over the history of satellite imaging—the primary means of seeing icebergs) cannot tell us one way or another whether there will be more calving like this one in the near future that is part of a global-change scenario.(Douglas MacAyeal)

What could occur should this phenomenon continually occur?

This is a natural process. If it occurs more often, with equal or bigger icebergs, perhaps then we can say more about what is causing this that isn't the natural part of the hydrological cycle, which is for snow to fall over Antarctica, and the continually forming icecap to slowly increase, move out to sea, and calve off icebergs.

Does any of your research look into the temperature of the deep parts of the ocean that are supposedly rising? Separating scientific fact and research from mainstream media is becoming increasingly difficult.

I have not been researching the temperature of the deep parts of the ocean. Unfortunately the announcement of the iceberg was made on the same day some unrelated oceanographic research was being announced. Some media reports linked the two, and they in fact are not related.

Is it not true that if enough breaks away ,then the shift in weight could cause the planet to shift slightly on its axis,with terrible following results?

Actually, this iceberg will not have any significant effect on the rotation or orientation of the Earth's axis.

Have you read Clive Cussler's Atlantis Found, a [science] fiction novel he wrote in 1999? It centers around this exact event occurring, with World-Wide cataclysmic results. I'm sure the science world and government wouldn't want to start a panic, but what effect could this have on our environment, and/or the earth's rotational axis, if any? I'm sure any response would be conjecture, but what concerns do you have?

At this time, this iceberg does not pose any global warming implications or effects on the earth's rotational axis. This is a natural event that this part of Antarctic is due to have occur.

Do these icebergs in any way represent a rise in ocean height or change any weather patterns?

They actually do not represent any rises in sea level or changes in weather patterns, that we know of.

Does what you wrote about Antarctica hold for the Arctic?

The Arctic situation may be different. I have not studied it close enough to comment. From what I know it is different, and more observations have been made over the last several years to back up what is being researched there.

Is the polar icecap breaking up? Will it have an effect on the world's weather?

The new icebergs (B-17, B-18, others as they form) simply show that the big iceberg that broke away before most likely is causing the new icebergs. Think of it as couple of parallel parked cars with the car in the middle bumping into the car behind it.

The whole polar icecap isn't breaking up, and this event shouldn't affect the world's weather greatly.

What will happen or is happening to the icebergs?

Based on other icebergs, scientists think that the iceberg may eventually break in half (as did A-38), but probably not for several weeks and not until the iceberg moves about 50 km to the west along the ice front. At the end of March it was still "jiggling around in its parking spot."

The latest images show a relatively small section broken off of the western portion of the main iceberg

Yes, the little iceberg, known as B-16, broke off at the same time as the big B-15 iceberg.

When will the big iceberg, B-15, break up?

Scientists think it will certainly break up but are not sure when. A New Zealand scientist said, "B9 took 22 months if you discount that piece of thin shelf starting life as multiyear fast ice at its eastern end. B9 was generally thicker but had a big N-S rift in it (Kainan Bay). B-15 is 100-350m thick with an unsustainable length -width ratio but it may stay side on to the swell for a while yet and these will be dampened by the forming pack."

Is it likely, because of the exaggerated oblong shape of the main iceberg, that it won't remain one large iceberg for long?

The long shape of the big one, B-15, may in fact lead to it breaking in half. We are not exactly sure, but that is what colleagues at the University of Chicago are numerically simulating.

Do we think the Ross ice shelf is breaking up?

The Ross Ice Shelf must calve an iceberg of this size every 50 to 100 years to maintain its ice-front location at approximately the present place. (Douglas MacAyeal)

Your models show the effect of tides alone on the predicted movement of the iceberg. Given that the ice sheet had a "static strength" set at sea level in bygone eons, I wonder if the berg would sink lower than the ice sheet when released and the tides would have the greater impact, or if the iceberg would float higher than the ice sheet when it was relaxed from the constraints of the whole and if the prevailing winds play a marked role in its movement.

I recommend contacting the National Ice Center (www.natice.noaa.gov), for answers to your questions. They specialize in tracking icebergs. From work with the research group at the University of Chicago, I do know that tides and ocean currents are primary influences on the iceberg's motion, with the rotation of the Earth and the wind playing secondary roles.

Does the size of this iceberg offer any unique research opportunities?

This iceberg does offer unique research opportunities—our colleagues at the University of Chicago are researching more about what does control the motions of the iceberg once they do break off. We have a chance to learn a great deal from this event.

Did scientists know this would happen?

New Zealand scientists say that some rifts around 170W, the middle of B-15, have been there for at least ten years. And they say that iceberg B9 was "mostly delineated by rifts for at least 16 years before it calved." They say there does not seem to be anything unusual about the quantity or orientation of rifting. They wonder if an abrupt change in ice thickness at 177-178W at the western side of the thin area between 171-177 (warm current/basal melting effect) could have influenced calving dynamics there. But they say that this thin area appears to have been around all this century, so is not unusual.

How is the University of WI involved? Are other universities/researchers following its movement?

The University of Wisconsin is involved because I have grants to the university from the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs for automatic weather stations and for Antarctic data distributions to others. The University of Chicago is also involved.

Why can’t you just take data on cubic volume and information about the total number (and size) of all recently calved 'bergs from Antarctica, plug into a spreadsheet, and make some accurate predictions?

There is more to the question than this, I suspect. Trends are important. They do give us clues, but they do have limited power in predicting, especially if the system is changing. The science community has only been monitoring icebergs for about 35 years. I'm sure there will be continuing work on this problem over the years.

I was interested in what the accepted academic interpretation of recent global weather events is. I was also interested in the whole ice pack phenomenon after reading about polar icepack reduction in the Russian Arctic. I thought that it was interesting that the scientists said that the reduction in the ice was due to dams reducing the flow of rivers and thus the protective fresh water shield that they normally provide to the polar icepack. I assume from your response that there has not been any substantial overall change in the polar ice pack area in Antarctica. I guess I am relieved to hear this. Is it suggested that change in polar ice area is an increment to global weather change (cooler or hotter)?

Ice packs are sensitive to climate change, but I have not studied them enough to comment further on. There are ongoing research projects, such as the West Antarctic Ice Sheet project trying to learn more about these very issues.

Are we doing what can be done to know as much as we can? Is there an international effort to combine resources to fund study for this? It will require a sizable chunk of change to salvage the perishable knowledge … How about if we form an emergency funding machine and get the citizens of the world to chip in? Governments can act, but will they? Can the bureaucracy respond in time to make the difference that needs to be made? Perhaps the imagination of the public could be put to great good use. Funding experts might enjoy the challenge of forming a quick-response mechanism for this type of event. Million-year-old glacial milk as souvenirs? Probably pretty pure. At least peculiar. If 8 counties of Iowa were about to disappear, we would have to agree that we don't know enough about it to let go without taking a very good last look. … Could someone in your study group form a team to explore?

With regards to your final questions/comments, the best I can offer is that the research community would like to research this iceberg to learn more. Funding for worthwhile research is always needed.

How do you monitor the icebergs from Wisconsin?

How does one find out if there is an iceberg if you are in the United States? What equipment would you use?

If you’re in the U.S., you find an iceberg by looking at data from satellites. We use computers that communicate with satellites, and via the Internet.

What satellites do you use and why?

The polar orbiting satellites (the ones that fly overhead) are the NOAA and DMSP satellites. The DMSP satellite is run by the Air Force who makes the data available to researchers. I use both to track and observe the icebergs. Both sets of satellites are U.S. owned and operated.

GOES (US), METEOSAT (Europe), and GMS (Japan) are the geostationary satellites. They are great for observing the full disk of the Earth, but not the best near the poles. We combine imagery from all of the satellites to make a composite, or mosaic, image over the Antarctic and Southern Ocean (including all of New Zealand). The composite is a specialty of the AMRC.

What’s the name and number of the satellite that imaged the giant icebergs (especially B-15 and B-16)?

The satellite is NOAA-12 (the first of the images most widely in circulation).

Is it the first time that a satellite has observed an iceberg peeling off an ice shelf?

No, this isn't the first time that satellites have been used to monitor icebergs. I do not know how close to the actual break of an iceberg satellite images have been able to show in the past. The National Ice Center in the U.S. (www.natice.noaa.gov) monitors these sort of things on a routine basis.

What’s the value of satellite imagery in observing the iceberg?

Satellite imagery, particularly from polar-orbiting satellites, and especially when skies are clear of clouds, make it possible to spot big icebergs as they form. Cracks in the ice are only clearly visible from the air. Satellites give a point of view available no other way.

How do scientists look for icebergs in satellite imagery?

In each new image as it comes in, a researcher will look for the cracks and rifts that are likely candidates for any new bergs. It is important to also look at places where the unexpected could happen (that's why B15 was probably missed, nobody "expected" it).

Are other sites monitoring the weather stations and icebergs that appear on your Web page?

We are not aware of anyone at this time who is currently providing similar capabilities.

Are you permanently monitoring this area?

The AMRC monitors this area frequently as well as some on the other side of Antarctica near the Ronne Ice Shelf (see http://amrc.ssec.wisc.edu/iceberg.html). It was a hobby, until we crossed paths with Doug MacAyeal at the University of Chicago, who is studying the motions of icebergs. We hope that our satellite observations will help his computer simulations. The National Ice Center here in the US (www.natice.noaa.gov); has the responsibility for operationally monitoring icebergs around the world.

Will we be able to watch this iceberg float away?

We do plan to follow the iceberg, and post updates to our Web site http://amrc.ssec.wisc.edu/iceberg.html. We hope to continue to do so as long as our project continues to be funded to do so.

How high does a polar-orbiting satellite orbit?

About 800 km (~500 miles) above the earth.

Why do some of the iceberg images look upside down? And sometime backwards?

One set of satellite images is ingested in reverse. Remapping the image to the normal view detracts from the quality of the image.

Why do the geographical lines jump around from image to image? Why is the iceberg south of -78 in the 16:38UTC image, at -78 in the 9:19UTC image, and south -78 again in the 09:49 image? Why does the navigation (map outline) look rock steady, while the surface features don't? I'm not a POES user.

The navigation parameters we must use in McIDAS actually predict the parameters three days in the future. If our navigation model is not the same (which is the case) as the model used to compute the navigation parameters for 3 days in the future, errors begin to creep in. A slight difference in viewing angle between satellite images also distorts the shape of things. Remapping can fix this just so much.

I've been visiting the iceberg page daily, and have hoped for more pictures. Do you get them daily? For a while, new ones were posted every day.

We attempt to post images as we can, working around daily duties, and when the clouds do not obscure the icebergs.

How was the iceberg discovered?

Who discovered the icebergs? How?

Forecasters at McMurdo Station in Antarctica discovered B-15 and B-16 by looking at satellite imagery.

When did your research center discover the broken-apart phase of the iceberg? Who discovered B-15?

We were alerted to this iceberg by colleagues at the University of Chicago who are studying iceberg motions with us. They were informed by the National Science Foundation here in the US who oversee the US Antarctic Program. They were notified by the folks at McMurdo Station Antarctica, the main US station in Antarctica, in a weekly report to NSF. The weather forecasters at McMurdo were the first folks to notice this.

Where can I learn more about icebergs? And other unanswered questions

How does this massive chunk compare to the total annual global calving? To the build-up of replacement ice? Are you able to estimate the weight of this? Some links to ongoing study? Is there any Web site that keeps track of ice shelves, etc.? For both the Antarctic and Greenland?

Aside from the images posted to http://amrc.ssec.wisc.edu/iceberg.html, you could check the National Ice Center. They are tasked with operationally monitoring icebergs around the world. You can reach them at: (www.natice.noaa.gov)

Where can I find out more about the Ross Ice Shelf?

"The Recent Advance of the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica" by S. Jacobs, D. MacAyeal and J. Ardai, Journal of Glaciology, Vol 32, No. 112, page 464-474.

This paper suggests that from 1965 to 1985, "calving" from the Ross Ice Shelf was abnormally low (to nonexistent)... what we're seeing now might be the event which "makes up for" the quite times of the late 1900's.

What media have covered the icebergs?

See In The News for April 2000.

What do you see as this event’s significance?

Is this a historical crisis?

No, it’s a normal occurrence. Every 50-100 years a big berg breaks off the Ross Ice Shelf, to maintain the hydrological balance.

This event is important because, with satellite imagery, we now have the opportunity to observe what happens, and learn about it.

The iceberg answers are based primarily on research by Douglas MacAyeal, U.Chicago and observations of Matthew Lazzara, Charles Stearns (P.I.) and others of UW-Madison’s Antarctic Meteorological Research Center.

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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants Nos. OPP-0537827, OPP-0338147, and OPP-0230028. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the National Science Foundation.