A large iceberg broke away from Antarctica, scientists said Wednesday.
The 1-trillion-ton iceberg, one of the largest icebergs in recorded history, broke off from the Larsen C Ice Shelf, according to multiple reports.
It broke off sometime between Monday and Wednesday.
{mosads}”The iceberg is one of the largest recorded, and its future progress is difficult to predict,” said Adrian Luckman, professor at Swansea University and lead investigator of Project MIDAS, which has been monitoring the ice shelf for years, according to Reuters.
“It may remain in one piece but is more likely to break into fragments. Some of the ice may remain in the area for decades, while parts of the iceberg may drift north into warmer waters.”
The iceberg will likely be named A68.
Luckman said scientists will keep monitoring the effects.
“We have been anticipating this event for months, and have been surprised how long it took for the rift to break through the final few kilometers of ice,” Luckman said, according to USA Today.
“We will continue to monitor both the impact of this calving event on the Larsen C Ice Shelf and the fate of this huge iceberg.”