Iceberg the size of Luxembourg breaks off from Antarctica

February 27th, 2010 - 3:24 am ICT by BNO News  

SANDY BAY, TASMANIA (BNO NEWS) – A large iceberg broke off from the Mertz Glacier in the Australian Antarctic Territory, the Antarctic Climate & Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre said Friday.

Australian and French scientists discovered the calving of a huge iceberg, which is 78 kilometers long with a surface of 2,500 square kilometers as it was hit by another iceberg around 97 kilometers long.

The Mertz Glacier has had a significant crack in it for around 20 years and another one developed on the opposite side around 10 years ago.

Both icebergs are now floating along the Atlantic coast. The newly created iceberg is about the size of Luxembourg and could affect the ocean circulation and wildlife, particularly the penguins of the Antarctic region.

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