“It was to be expected.” An iceberg nearly the size of London has broken off in Antarctica

The formation of the new iceberg is a natural process that is not related to climate change, due to which the rate of melting of sea ice in the Arctic and some Antarctic areas is accelerating, according to the AFP news agency.

The huge iceberg broke off from the 150-metre-thick Brant Ice Shelf a decade after scientists discovered large cracks in the ice shelf. About a year ago, a glacier of a similar size broke off from the shelf glacier.

“These events are to be expected and are part of the natural behavior of the Brant Shelf Glacier. They are not related to climate change,” says glaciologist Dominic Hodgson.

The nearby polar station, where researchers monitor the Brant Shelf Glacier, was not affected. True, the mobile polar station was moved from 2016 to 2017 for security reasons. Since then, staff at the polar station have only worked there during the Antarctic summer, which lasts from November to March. There are currently 21 scientists there.