The 2002 Collapse of Larsen B (IMAGE)

Georgia Institute of Technology

The 2002 Collapse of Larsen B

Caption

Antarctic ice shelf Larsen B suddenly breaks apart in 2002 after an anomalous heatwave. The shelf may have formed 10,000 years ago but shattered in just two to three weeks' time. After its disappearance, the glacier behind it sped up its flow toward the ocean, pushing up sea level faster than it otherwise would have.

Credit

NASA Earth Observatory

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