ESA: Even the Antarctic winter cannot protect Wilkins Ice Shelf

[Simon]

Wilkins Ice Shelf has experienced further break-up with an area of about 160 km² breaking off. This animation, comprised of images acquired by Envisat’s Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) between 30 May and 9 June 2008, highlights the rapidly dwindling strip of ice that is protecting thousands of kilometres of the ice shelf from further break-up. This is the first ever-documented episode to occur in winter.

This animation, comprised of images acquired by Envisat’s Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR), highlights the rapid loss of ice on the Wilkins Ice Shelf from 26 February to 7 March 2008. Between 28 and 29 February, an area of about 400 sq km disintegrated into large and small icebergs within 24 hours.

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMG58VG3HF_index_1.html