NASA scientist states that the complete collapse of the Conger Ice Shelf during a period of unusually high temperatures is “a sign of what may be coming.”
An ice shelf the size of Rome has completely collapsed in East Antarctica during days of record high temperatures, according to satellite data.
Scientists report that the Conger Ice Shelf, which has a surface area of about 1,200 km², collapsed around March 15, as reported by The Guardian.
East Antarctica experienced unusually high temperatures last week. The Concordia Station recorded a record temperature of -11.8 degrees Celsius on March 18, which is over 40 degrees Celsius warmer than the typical seasonal temperatures. An atmospheric river retaining heat over the continent contributed to this record temperature.
Satellite data shows the Conger Ice Shelf has broken away from the C-38 iceberg and collapsed in Antarctica. (Photo: USNIC)
Dr. Catherine Colello Walker, a scientist at NASA and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, stated that although the Conger Ice Shelf is relatively small, “this is one of the largest collapse events in Antarctica since the early 2000s, when the Larsen B Ice Shelf disintegrated.”
“It is quite possible that this will not cause significant impacts, but it is a sign of what may be coming,” Dr. Walker added.
The Conger Ice Shelf has been shrinking since the mid-2000s. By March 4, it appeared to have lost more than half of its surface area compared to measurements taken in January.
Peter Neff from the University of Minnesota remarked that seeing even a small ice shelf collapse in East Antarctica is surprising.
Professor Matt King, head of the Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science, stated that the breakup of the Conger Ice Shelf will not significantly affect sea levels.
He noted that fortunately, the glacier behind Conger is small, so it will have “little impact on sea levels in the future.”
Ice shelves play a crucial role; without them, inland ice flows more rapidly into the ocean, leading to rising sea levels.
