Tracking Ice
In November 2013, a large iceberg separated from the front of Antarctica’s Pine Island Glacier. It thus began a journey across Pine Island Bay, a basin of the Amundsen Sea. Since its separation, scientists have tracked the iceberg’s movement via satellite and with GPS sensors dropped onto the 21 mile long and 12 mile wide ice island. Its uneven, twisting motions are the result of different ocean currents, wind patterns and the shape of the seafloor, which likely stopped its progress a few times. The iceberg will eventually be swept up in the swift currents of the Southern Ocean, though it will be hard to track visually as Antarctica heads into winter darkness. Watch the video to see a time-lapse of the iceberg’s journey assembled from NASA satellite observations.
NASA satellites monitor a massive iceberg adrift in Antarctic waters.
NASA’s Aqua and Terra satellites captured these images of the iceberg between Nov. 18, 2013, and Mar. 11, 2014.
The iceberg was within a few miles of the coast on Nov. 18, 2013.
By Dec. 10, 2013, the iceberg had drifted 60 miles into Pine Island Bay.
The iceberg had rotated 180 degrees by Jan. 17, 2014, when this image was taken.
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Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Earth Observatory
Images courtesy of NASA/GSFC/LANCE/EOSDIS Rapid Response/Jeff Schmaltz
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Animator
- Matthew R. Radcliff (USRA)
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Writer
- Mike Carlowicz (Sigma Space Corporation)
Release date
This page was originally published on Tuesday, May 27, 2014.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:50 PM EDT.