An ice shelf the size of Rome in Antarctica collapses

The NASA scientist said the complete collapse of the Conger ice shelf during a time of unusually high temperatures was 'a sign of what might be to come'.

An ice shelf the size of Rome has completely collapsed east of Antarctica during days of record high temperatures, according to satellite data.

Scientists say the Conger ice shelf, which has a surface area of ​​about 1,200 square kilometers, collapsed around March 15, the Guardian reported.

East Antarctica saw unusually high temperatures last week. Concordia station recorded a record temperature of -11.8 degrees Celsius on March 18, 40 degrees Celsius warmer than the usual seasonal temperature. An atmospheric river that traps heat on the continent has led to this record temperature.

Satellite data shows that the Conger Ice Shelf has broken off from iceberg C-38 and collapsed in Antarctica.

Dr Catherine Colello Walker, a scientist at NASA and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, said that although the Conger ice shelf is relatively small, 'this is one of the largest collapse events in Antarctica since the beginning of the 2000, when the Larsen B ice shelf disintegrated'.

'Most likely, this won't have major impacts, but it's a sign of what could be to come,' Dr Walker said.

The Conger Ice Shelf has been shrinking since the mid-2000s. By March 4, the ice shelf appeared to have lost more than half of its surface area compared to January measurements.

Peter Neff, of the University of Minnesota, said that seeing even a small ice shelf collapse in East Antarctica was a surprise.

Professor Matt King, leader of the Australian Center for Excellence in Antarctic Science, said the breaking of the Conger ice shelf would not have much of an impact on sea levels.

Fortunately, the glacier behind Conger is small, he said, so it will have "little impact on future sea levels".

Ice shelves play an important role, without them, ice inland flows faster into the ocean, leading to sea level rise.