Hundreds Of Icebergs Sailing Towards New Zealand
Posted on: Monday, 23 November 2009, 10:15 CST
Over one hundred Antarctic icebergs are moving towards New Zealand in an extraordinary happening that has raised a shipping warning, officials announced Monday.
An Australian Antarctic Division glaciologist stated that the bergs, pinpointed by satellites, have floated past the Auckland Islands, and are 280 miles northeast of the Island.
Scientist Neal Young noted that the icebergs, including some that are 650 feet in width, were in a large group, which implies that there could be more.
The chunks of ice split off of a gigantic ice floe which separated from the Antarctic.
"All of these have come from a larger one that was probably 11.6 square miles in size when it left Antarctica," Young said the AFP.
"It's done a long circuit around Antarctica and now the bigger parts of it are breaking up and producing smaller ones."
He noted that large quantities of icebergs had not been seen anywhere near New Zealand since 2006, and even that was the first kind of sighting since 1931.
"They're following the same tracks now up towards New Zealand. Whether they make it up to the South Island or not is difficult to tell," Young added.
New Zealand has released coastal navigation notices for the region in the Southern Ocean.
"It's really just a general warning for shipping in that area to be on the alert for icebergs," Maritime New Zealand spokesman Ross Henderson announced.
Young had said previously to the AFP he anticipated more icebergs in the region if global warming continued to grow.
"If the current trends in global warming were to continue I would anticipate seeing more icebergs and the large ice shelves breaking up," he said.
Image Courtesy Susan Ferguson, Australian Antarctic Division
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Source: RedOrbit Staff & Wire Reports
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User Comments (6)
| 6. |
Posted by CG on 11/25/2009, 05:30 Might not be getting warmer, might not be gettiln coller; However big changes are going on, thats for sure. I am 28 year old and nobody has ever seen whats going on here in south of brazil, with huge floods, tornados and even a hurricane; That never ever happened before. These are facts not superstition. |
| 5. |
Posted by Isirio on 11/24/2009, 09:11 Sir Gareth, your comment is commendable. Most educated people will understand clearly how you described the glacier were formed etc. Al Gore, followers or the Global warming believers can not decide what to name this global.. What... In 1971, it was Global Cooling, then Global Warming and now they want to name it to \" CLIMATE CHANGE\" ? which one do you prefer. Hey! Make sure you name it to a more convincing title because people are losing faith. Adios. Abe |
| 4. |
Posted by Isirio on 11/24/2009, 08:33 \"HUNDREDS OF ICEBERGES SELLING TOWARD NEW ZEALAND\" (Are you sure this is not a computer generated) We experienced in record this year, the coldest since 1979. In Antarctic, the temperature never went above freezing point. Is it true that ice melt above freezing point?, therefore this is another propaganda, tell this to a 5th graders and some morons because throughout the year the temperature in Antarctica never went up above freezing point. It always remains in negative below Zero. Example in 6/24/2009, it was -75deg.F, wind chill was -100deg.F. Is this another Computer generated to make believe like the Bear pulling away on a chunk of ice. Please do not believed anything they told you, research and prove it to yourself. Want to check the weather; Go to www.accuweather.com. Adios Abe |
| 3. |
Posted by emerald on 11/23/2009, 20:18 all the leaders in the world should unite to solve these problem...please do something for the future generations... |
| 2. |
Posted by Bobber on 11/23/2009, 20:11 I beg to differ...the Glaciers in N. America and elsewhere are not only melting, but receding and disappearing at a rate never before experienced. You have to have your head in the sand to not acknowledge this FACT. |
| 1. |
Posted by Sir Gareth on 11/23/2009, 13:18 Icebergs are formed when glaciers grow and spread end eventaully run out of land. When they run out of land, they spread out over the surface of the sea. Such sea-floating, land-attached glaciers are unstable and cannot grow forever or the entire planet would be covered with ice. Therefore , all such glaciers must either melt or succumb to sea currents and be broken away from the land from which they are attached to become unattached floating icebergs. Neither of these events supports the global warming religion - and it is the same level of superstition and ignorance that "sees" global warming everywhere that also "sees" the virgin mary's face in burnt toast or crumbling concrete walls or other similar nonsense. |
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