Filchner–Ronne Ice Shelf

The Filchner–Ronne Ice Shelf is a large, floating sheet of ice in Antarctica. It is located in the Weddell Sea and is the second-largest ice shelf in the world by area, after the Ross Ice Shelf. It is made up of two main parts, separated by Berkner Island: the Ronne Ice Shelf and the Filchner Ice Shelf.


 Size and features 
The combined Filchner–Ronne Ice Shelf is huge, covering an area of around 430,000 square kilometers (about 166,000 square miles).

It is fed by several large glaciers and ice streams that flow from the main Antarctic ice sheet, acting as a natural brake that slows down the flow of inland ice into the ocean.

The waters beneath the Filchner–Ronne Ice Shelf are typically very cold, which helps keep the ice shelf stable. However, scientists are closely watching this area because warmer ocean currents could eventually reach the shelf and cause it to melt from below, which would make it less stable.

 Importance 
The Filchner–Ronne Ice Shelf is very important for the stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. It holds back a large amount of ice from flowing into the sea. If it were to melt or break apart, it could lead to a significant increase in the rate of ice loss from the continent, which would contribute to rising global sea levels.

Scientists use satellites and other tools to study the ice shelf and the ocean currents beneath it to understand how it is changing and what that means for the future of the planet.

 Disintegration (calving) 
In October 1998, a giant iceberg called A-38 broke away from the Filchner–Ronne Ice Shelf. It was so big it was larger than the U.S. state of Delaware. Later, it broke into three smaller pieces.

In May 2000, a similar large iceberg named A-43 broke off. Scientists believe that when this iceberg broke apart, its pieces drifted across the ocean for over five years. Some of these pieces were seen off the coast of New Zealand in November 2006. This was the first time icebergs had been seen from the New Zealand mainland since 1931. The icebergs traveled about 13,500 kilometers (8,400 miles) to get there.NIWA report, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
Category:Antarctica
Category:Geography of Antarctica