Antarctica 04/18/05

MODIS image of Antarctica

B-15A Strikes Drygalski Ice Tongue

The giant B-15A iceberg has menaced the Drygalski Ice Tongue since December 2004. At 122 kilometers (76 miles) in length by 28 kilometers (17 miles) in width, the bullying iceberg charged with great momentum towards the ice tongue, threatening to shatter the floating extension of the Davis Glacier. A scant five kilometers from Drygalski, B-15A ground to a stop, most likely grounded in the shallower waters near the shore. In the weeks that followed, the iceberg rotated free, until finally it began to drift past the ice tongue into the Ross Sea. Just when it looked as if Drygalski might escape a collision, B-15A delivered a glancing blow, knocking the end of the ice tongue loose.

 

Text courtesy of NASA's Earth Observatory.
Top image courtesy of NASA's MODIS Land Rapid Response Team.