Iceberg B-15A set to hit Aviator Glacier tongue.

Wild Iceberg Tears up Antarctica

A huge wandering iceberg is tearing up the Antarctic like a slow-moving bull in a frozen China shop.

The roving destructor, named B-15A, slammed into the Drygalski ice tongue a month ago and broke off at least two city-sized chunks. Now it is poised to strike another feature sticking out from the continent.

At 71 miles (115 kilometers) long, B-15A is the largest free-floating object in the world.

It is expected to lumber into the Aviator Glacier any day now, scientists with the European Space Agency said Tuesday. The researchers released a satellite image taken May 16.

Aviator was discovered in 1955 and named for flyers who helped open up the continent for exploration. The floating structure is attached to the continent and protrudes about 15 miles (25 kilometers) into Lady Newnes Bay within the Ross Sea.

If B-15A gets stuck, as it has before, researchers fear it could block sea ice behind it, thwarting animals that need to move from shore to the open sea.



B-15A is the largest chunk left of a bigger iceberg, known as B-15, that broke off the Ross Ice Shelf in March 2000. That initial frozen hunk was about the size of Jamaica. After B-15 broke apart, the chunk named B-15A drifted into McMurdo Sound, where it blocked ocean currents and caused other sea ice to build up, threatening wildlife.

Scientists predicted an imminent collision back in January this year. Instead, the iceberg ran aground and stalled out. Then it broke free in March. On the move again, it collided with the Drygalski ice tongue in April, forcing the redraw of Antarctica maps.

Hmmm, 'Free-floating object'……I had a horrible thought for a minute that this was going to be a scatalogical thread…

Think of all the penguins!

It looks kinda like a carrier flight deck in reverse.


Nuke it. Do it for the wildlife.

They should tow it to Texas and chop it up.

Looks like a large piece of Bread, in the worlds largest soup bowl.  Quick get it out before it gets all soggy.

Quoted: Think of all the penguins!

Was thinking the exact same thing!

It kinda looks like a large loaf of . ......

I was expecting pictures of my sister.

How soon until someone blames this on guns?  5, 4, 3, 2.....

Tow it to Iraq,






Think of the GIs'

Quoted: img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/macandy/iceberg.jpg

I wasn't going to say it . . .

The roving destructor, named B-15A, slammed into the Drygalski ice tongue...

Who names this kind of shit!?    Pretty sure even that ugly sex offender could come up with a better name!

If B-15A gets stuck, as it has before, researchers fear it could block sea ice behind it, thwarting animals that need to move from shore to the open sea

Someone needs to go down there and swipe a few penguins then resell them in the US.  I'd pay good money to own a penguin!  

A huge wandering iceberg is tearing up the Antarctic like a slow-moving bull in a frozen China shop.

Does it make any huge noises when it collides...?

The poor penguins are cut off from the water by the iceberg. The damn thing is so big the penguins have to walk tens of miles before they hit the water to get food.

I was expecting to see Rosie blowing the water out of a hot tub

Quoted: img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/macandy/iceberg.jpg

BBWWWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Quoted: Think of all the penguins!

It's a problem all right.

Quoted: Hmmm, 'Free-floating object'……I had a horrible thought for a minute that this was going to be a scatalogical thread…

I thought it was going to be a land mine from his dog.

Nothing that a little greenhouse gas wouldn't fix.  Eat some beans.  For the penguins.

I thought it was going to be Rosie O'Donnell in a bathtub. Glad it was an iceburg instead

Quoted: I was expecting to see Rosie blowing the water out of a hot tub

Actually...  
B-15A blocked the inlet to the Ross Sea, which in turn kept the seasonal ice from being blown out of the Ross Sea after it had broken up. This trapped seasonal ice is what made the penquins pull a longer hike to the open sea for food.

Last season the ice was so bad and the US Icebreakers were so broke dick that the National Science Foundation contracted the Russians to save our asses.

Posted 2/6/2005 11:40 AM    
 
U.S., Russian icebreakers open path to Antarctic base

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — U.S. ships have delivered food, fuel and equipment to Antarctic science bases, despite fears they would not be able to pass through the ice pack formed behind the world's largest iceberg, the National Science Foundation says.

A fuel tanker and cargo ship, following a 94-mile path cut by icebreakers through up-to 10-feet-thick ice, reached the pier at the U.S. McMurdo Station on McMurdo Sound, NSF spokesman Arthur Brown said.

This year's sea ice extended more than 90 miles north of the McMurdo Station, after building up behind the world's biggest iceberg, known as B15A, which has blocked wind and water currents that usually break up ice floes in the sound. It normally extends only around 11 miles from McMurdo.

McMurdo, which is almost due south of New Zealand, is Antarctica's largest station. Supplies for almost all U.S. Antarctic operations are funneled through McMurdo. It's the farthest south that ocean-going ships can reach.

Brown said the American icebreaker Polar Star and Russian icebreaker Krasin encountered ice between 5 and 10 feet thick as they cut the channel.

The icebreakers "had a bit of maneuvering to do to get round B15A and its remnant pieces. But once that was done they had a pretty straight shot to open a channel up into McMurdo Station," Brown said.

Three weeks ago scientists said B15A, a 100-mile long iceberg, had run aground within three miles of slamming into a huge glacier known as the Drygalski Ice Tongue. It blocked paths to the sea for thousands of penguins, leaving up to 50,000 penguin chicks to starve to death in the area this season.

The two icebreakers escorted the U.S. Navy fuel tanker USNS Paul Buck to pier m made of ice pier at the McMurdo Station in late January to unload its cargo. The tanker unloaded about eight million gallons of fuel in 48 hours. The Paul Buck left McMurdo on Jan. 31.

The cargo vessel American Tern arrived at McMurdo on Feb. 3. It's unloading and is expected to leave McMurdo on Feb. 11.

Although U.S. Air Force and New York Air National Guard cargo flights from New Zealand operate on a regular schedule during the annual Antarctic research season (October through February), planes alone aren't able to carry enough supplies to keep the nation's Antarctic research program running.

Each year, a channel must be broken through the ice that forms on McMurdo Sound to allow access for the tanker and cargo ship.

This year's icebreaking operations were more challenging for two reasons: the extent of the sea ice was much greater than in previous years, and only one Coast Guard icebreaker was available to perform the mission. The Polar Star's sister ship, Polar Sea, is drydocked for long-term repairs.


NSF chartered the Krasin from the Far East Shipping Co., a Russian firm. A search by officials in NSF's Office of Polar Programs found that Krasin was the only qualified ship available on the world market to assist the Polar Star.

Quoted: The poor penguins are cut off from the water by the iceberg. The damn thing is so big the penguins have to walk tens of miles before they hit the water to get food.

lets see...............engines, Control tower, elevators, etc.............frozen floating base.......they could even land Firefox on it

I only wish I had the requisite amount of Scotch to go with an ice-cube that big.....

Quoted: The roving destructor, named B-15A, slammed into the Drygalski ice tongue... Who names this kind of shit!?    Pretty sure even that ugly sex offender could come up with a better name!

"BABY-ROOTH"

Quoted: lets see...............engines, Control tower, elevators, etc.............frozen floating base.......they could even land Firefox on it

I was thinking more along the lines of worlds largest frozen Margarita

How'd you find out about my sister in law?

How'd you find out about my sister in law?