George VI, Wilkins, Bach and Stange Ice Shelves

[paolo]

Calving of the Wilkins Ice Shelf.
Attached is a map to locate the event and an animation with two S1 (low resolution) images from 09/01 and 21/01
There was no discussion topic related to the Ice shelves in this area, hence the creation of this new topic

Click to enlarge and animate

[oren]

Thanks for this, paolo.
For the less-knowledgeable and lazier-minded folks among us, which I represent quite well, it would be helpful to include a map of Antarctica showing the general location.

[paolo]

Oren, I add a map with the four Ice Shelves (indicated with a red circle)

click to enlarge

[oren]

Thank you paolo. I'll add an even larger map  for completeness.

[FredBear]

In the oren map above Wilkins is still attached to Charcot Island but in the 1st paolo map Charcot Island is separated by Attenborough Strait.

I remember seeing items on the break-up of Wilkins and a quick look with google brings up NASA  Earth Observatory articles from 2008, 2009 and 2013:-


https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/8931/wintertime-disintegration-of-wilkins-ice-shelf
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/37806/wilkins-ice-bridge-collapse
https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/81174/breakup-continues-on-the-wilkins-ice-shelf

[paolo]

A calving at the George VI Ice Shelf on the south side, the area involved is about 31 km2
Below is an animation with information and a map of the area

Click twice to animate and enlarge the image completely

PS: I have just noticed that the information was wrong, my apologies and I guarantee that I had not been drinking. The total area is 20.1 km2

For the animation with the correct information see https://forum.arctic-sea-ice.net/index.php/topic,3733.msg331923.html#msg331923
 

[IceConcerned]

And another one at the rear of the sound...

[paolo]

Good point,
I add:
> the animation with the information,
> a map with the indication of the two calvings: today's and yesterday's.

Regarding yesterday's calving, I just noticed that the information was wrong, my apologies and I guarantee that I had not been drinking.

I therefore add the corrected animation of this calving (with the right information 

Click to animate and enlarge the images

[FredBear]

There were numerous melt ponds visible on the eastern section of the George VI ice shelf on Feb.12 but it has been more cloudy since then. I don't think they will cause major disruption because they are not close to the ends of the shelf but they show that this shelf is not very secure against global warming.

[paolo]

Iceberg ballet
Just a curiosity: the two icebergs, coming from two different places, turning one 120° and the other 225° while exchanging positions, end up as a couple next to each other.

[paolo]

New small calvings in the George VI ice shelf:
The first one to the south of about 4.8 km2 (including the biggest piece of 3.4 km2 and several pieces, already farther south-east) and a calving further north of about 2.4 km2 (that there was a calving is almost certain)
The feeling is that the big calving (well expected on this forum) should not be long in coming

Click to animate and enlarge

[IceConcerned]

Yes I too have been watching the area for some time now, but the big cracks do not seem to expand that much. It feels more like a slow erosion wherever it is possible (more could be identified a little south, between the pinning points/ice rises)
Nothing really spectacular but a clear trend discharging rhe Is month by month

[paolo]

What I said is being confirmed
Information in the animation

Click to animate and enlarge

Animation update (corrected information)

[paolo]

George VI, Southern Front
The crumbling continues (even if in the last 12 days we only had minor calvings)...
Attached :
> a long animation with 4 high resolution S1 images (1px =20m; overall size 44 x 30 km) covering 36 days: from 01/02/2022 to 09/03/2022.
> The image of 01/02/2022 on which I have transferred the front to 09/03/2022. You can see that small calvings have occurred everywhere

Click to animate (twice to enlarge the animation completely, as well as the image)