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The surface looks smooth, the edges seem drawn with a ruler. An iceberg, which NASA scientists were able to photograph during an overflight of Antarctica, does not match the usual picture of ice chunks swimming in the sea.
But this is neither a supernatural phenomenon nor an image manipulation. But a so-called Tafeleisberg. "These occur when ice patches come off large ice shelves," said Kelly Brunt, climate researcher, on the online portal "Livescience".
"Almost perfectly rectangular"
Table icebergs are not rare in themselves. They stand out along the natural cracks in the ice, says Brunt. As a result, they are often long and shallow and can spread over large areas. "This one is special because its shape is almost perfectly rectangular." The sharp edges indicate that it has only recently been replaced.
The iceberg was not measured exactly. Brunt estimates that it's about 1.6 kilometers wide. As with all icebergs, however, only about 10% of the total mbad is above water and visible. But also the underwater part normally resembles the rest of the table icebergs.
The iceberg could break at any time
But she does not recommend going for a walk on the inviting flat surface. "The iceberg would almost certainly not rock, but it's small enough that the ice is unstable." It could break at any moment. A remote observation is much safer. (KRJ)
Posted on 23.10.2018 | Updated 12 minutes ago
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