19-mile crack to create iceberg the size of New York in Antarctica

Rex

A 19-mile long crack on a glacier in Antarctica is set carve out a giant iceberg that will cover 350 square miles.

NASA scientists working in Antarctica discovered the massive crack across the Pine Island Glacier, a major ice stream that drains the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.

Extending for 19 miles, the crack is 260 feet wide and 195 feet deep.

Eventually, the crack will extend all the way across the glacier, and create an enormous iceberg that will cover about 350 square miles - the size of New York.

This image from the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) instrument on NASA's Terra spacecraft covers an area of 27 by 32 miles, and was taken in November but only just released.

The fact it was 18 miles then, and 19 miles now shows how quickly it is growing.

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