Iceberg About the Size of Los Angeles Breaks Off From Antarctica

A 490-square-mile (1,270 sq km) iceberg broke off from Antarctica on the morning of February 26, the British Antarctic Survey said.

This aerial footage, filmed on February 16, 10 days before the iceberg formed, according to the researchers, shows the large crack stretching into the distance.

The British Antarctic Survey said that during January 2021, the rift seen in this footage “pushed northeast at up to 1 km per day.” Then, on the morning of February 26, the crack widened several hundred meters in the space of a few hours, and the rift broke free, becoming the iceberg.

Professor Dame Jane Francis, Director of British Antarctic Survey, said: “Our teams at BAS have been prepared for the calving of an iceberg from Brunt Ice Shelf for years. We monitor the ice shelf daily using an automated network of high-precision GPS instruments that surround the station. These measure how the ice shelf is deforming and moving.”

The iceberg is about the same size as the sprawling city of Los Angeles, which is said to cover 469 to 503 square miles. Credit: British Antarctic Survey via Storyful