Iceberg break-up at the Ekström Ice Shelf and storm at Neumayer Station
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)
Published: 16 August 2021
A massive iceberg (~370 km²) calved from Antarctica’s Ekström Ice Shelf between 12–13 Aug 2021, possibly triggered by a severe storm. Wind gusts at nearby Neumayer Station III reached 207 km/h. The iceberg will likely be named A-77.
Keywords: Atka Bay, Alfred Wegener Institute, ESA, extreme weather, 2021, satellite imagery
Thwaites Glacier: Significant Geothermal Heat Beneath the Ice Stream
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)
Published: 18 August 2021
New research reveals high geothermal heat beneath West Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier, likely accelerating its melt. Thin crust and tectonic rifts cause heat flow up to 150 mW/m², potentially boosting glacier sliding and sea-level rise.
Keywords: glacier dynamics, Nature Communications Earth & Environment, ice shelf, glaciology
Back Again: First deployed buoy from the MOSAiC expedition
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)
Published: 10 September 2021
An ice buoy deployed during the 2019–2020 MOSAiC Arctic expedition drifted for nearly two years before being recovered near Tromsø. It was part of a 50 km-wide network monitoring sea ice around the Polarstern.
Keywords: Polar Research Institute of China, Norwegian Polar Institute, marine physics, ice monitoring, Arctic Ocean, AWI
