NASA reported that an iceberg about the size of the state of Delaware split off from Antarctica's Larsen C ice shelf between July 10 and July 12.
Scientists warn that the breakoff can trigger new ice cracks and cause even more icebergs to break off.
Ice shelves are the floating parts of glaciers which act as a support mechanism. In a stable glacier-ice shelf system, the glacier's downhill movement is offset by the buoyant force of the water at the ice shelf front.
The system is destabilized when warmer temperatures melt both the surface and underside of the ice shelves, this eventually leads to calving. However, collapsed ice shelves do not directly contribute to sea level rise because they are floating.
Once the ice shelves are calved, the buoyant force that previously offset glacier flow is gone, and then glacier can then slide into the ocean, which would rapidly affect sea levels.
REUTERS