The largest glacier of Greenland, Petermann, has been reduced in size as a significantly large chunk of iceberg, which is said to be twice the size of Manhattan, and has parted from the massive formation on Monday.
Scientists had been observing a long crack near the tip for last several years. Finally, on Monday, NASA satellites pointed out it had broken completely. The latest event is the second major calving for Petermann in the past three years. The first calving event took place in August 2010 when it lost roughly 97 square miles of area. This time it has lost 46 square miles (120 sq. kilometers).
While researchers believe global warming can be the reason behind the present condition of the glacier, they are yet to receive any conclusive data. "It's dramatic. It's disturbing," University of Delaware professor Andreas Muenchow told Associated Press. Prof. Muenchow was one of the first researchers to identify the crack.
"We have data for 150 years and we see changes that we have not seen before... It's one of the manifestations that Greenland is changing very fast," he noted.
According to NASA glaciologist Eric Rignot, who camped on Petermann 10 years ago, recent changes in Petermann are unprecedented and significant and can be followed by another similar event in the same glacier.
"This is not part of natural variations anymore," he told AP.
Meanwhile, many of the southern glaciers in Greenland are melting at rapid pace and as a result, sea levels could rise more abruptly than expected.
Scientists have also reported about Arctic making a record in terms of losing ice for June.
