Giant Antarctic ice shelf breaks into the sea

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/mar/26/poles.antarctica

28 March 2008 (Antarctic ice shelf collapses)

Another Antarctic ice shelf has collapsed. Scientists predicted this might happen within 30 years, 15 years ago. Things are getting worse faster.

Since ice shelves float on the ocean, the loss of one does not affect sea level. But the loss of the ice shelf enables ice on land to move faster into the ocean, and it also increases absorption of sunlight (since ice is a better reflector than water), which speeds further warming.

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