MODIS: Larsen B Ice Shelf Collapses

  • Released Thursday, March 21, 2002

Five true color images of the collapse of the Larsen B ice shelf of January, February, and March 2002, as recorded by NASA's MODIS satellite sensor.

In the next image is from 17 February minor retreat takes place,
amounting to about 800 square km, during which time several of the melt ponds well away from
the ice front drain through new cracks within the shelf.

In the next image is from 17 February minor retreat takes place, amounting to about 800 square km, during which time several of the melt ponds well away from the ice front drain through new cracks within the shelf.

In the next image is from 23 February minor retreat takes place,
amounting to about 800 square km, during which time several of the melt ponds well away from
the ice front drain through new cracks within the shelf.

In the next image is from 23 February minor retreat takes place, amounting to about 800 square km, during which time several of the melt ponds well away from the ice front drain through new cracks within the shelf.

The next image is from 5 March, with thousands of sliver icebergs and a large light
blue area of very finely divided bergy bits where the shelf formerly lay. Brownish streaks within the
floating chunks mark areas where rocks and morainal debris are exposed from the former underside and
interior of the shelf.

The next image is from 5 March, with thousands of sliver icebergs and a large light blue area of very finely divided bergy bits where the shelf formerly lay. Brownish streaks within the floating chunks mark areas where rocks and morainal debris are exposed from the former underside and interior of the shelf.

The last image is from 7 March, with thousands of sliver icebergs and a large light
blue area of very finely divided bergy bits where the shelf formerly lay. Brownish streaks within the
floating chunks mark areas where rocks and morainal debris are exposed from the former underside and
interior of the shelf. The last phases of the retreat totalled approximately 2600 square km.

The last image is from 7 March, with thousands of sliver icebergs and a large light blue area of very finely divided bergy bits where the shelf formerly lay. Brownish streaks within the floating chunks mark areas where rocks and morainal debris are exposed from the former underside and interior of the shelf. The last phases of the retreat totalled approximately 2600 square km.

Video slate image reads "MODIS: Larsen B Ice Shelf Collapses.  Five true color images of the events of January, February, and March 2002 as recorded by NASA's MODIS satellite sensor.  THe images show the Larsen B ice shelf and parts of the Antarctic Peninsula".

Video slate image reads "MODIS: Larsen B Ice Shelf Collapses. Five true color images of the events of January, February, and March 2002 as recorded by NASA's MODIS satellite sensor. THe images show the Larsen B ice shelf and parts of the Antarctic Peninsula".



Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

Release date

This page was originally published on Thursday, March 21, 2002.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:57 PM EDT.


Missions

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