The giant ice sheet separated from Greenland

A large block of ice equivalent to four times the size of New York's Manhattan district has separated from a Greenland glacier and melted, shocking regional research scientists.

Alun Hubbard scientist, from Aberystwyth University in Wales (UK), said he was so amazed that he did not say the words when he saw the Petermann glacier now much smaller than before.

'Although I knew the ice phenomenon melted through satellite images, I was still very surprised at the size of the split ice sheet, which shocked me so much that I did not say anything,' Mr. Hubbard said in a declare.

Mr. Hubbard added that no similar phenomenon has been recorded in Greenland since observations were made in 1876.

Scientists are now concerned that another large block of ice, twice the size of Manhattan, is about to split.

Ohio University professor Alan Box, who also studied the glacier Petermann, said observers were not sure whether the water level and the region's air temperature contributed to the melting of the ice. or not.

Greenland's ice sheets can melt at a rate of 400 billion tons per year. This ice island lost 229km² of ice during the period 2000-2010.