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2012 Break A Petermann Glacier, Greenland story

Glaciers  / 
Water
  1. Petermann Glacier, Greenland
  2. 2012 Break
Description

Just two years later, another large iceberg broke off Petermann Glacier. This one was estimated at 130 square kilometers—about half the size of the 2010 iceberg. But this calving broke off the glacier tongue farther upstream and moved the front end of the glacier farther inland than has been observed since 1876, the first reported measurements of the glacier.

The floating ends of glaciers like Petermann are known as ice shelves. They act as doorstops. When these ice shelves suddenly splinter and weaken, the glaciers that feed them speed up. The result is more ice flowing into the ocean, which could raise global sea levels.

The development of these icebergs is a natural process; however, when there are two major breaks in two years, scientists must take notice. Even large breaks do not amount to a collapse of the floating extension; nevertheless, they are important events.

(Black stripes run through the images because of the Scan Line Corrector failure on Landsat 7 in May 2003.)

View Related Imagery & Stories

Location

July 3, 2012, Landsat 7 (path/row 43/1) — 2012 calving event, Petermann Glacier, Greenland

July 3, 2012, Landsat 7 (path/row 43/1) — 2012 calving event, Petermann Glacier, Greenland

July 17, 2012, Landsat 7 (path/row 45/1) — 2012 calving event, Petermann Glacier, Greenland

July 17, 2012, Landsat 7 (path/row 45/1) — 2012 calving event, Petermann Glacier, Greenland

July 19, 2012, Landsat 7 (path/row 43/1) — 2012 calving event, Petermann Glacier, Greenland

July 19, 2012, Landsat 7 (path/row 43/1) — 2012 calving event, Petermann Glacier, Greenland

July 21, 2012, Landsat 7 (path/row 41/1) — 2012 calving event, Petermann Glacier, Greenland

July 21, 2012, Landsat 7 (path/row 41/1) — 2012 calving event, Petermann Glacier, Greenland

July 3, 2012, Landsat 7 (path/row 43/1) — 2012 calving event, Petermann Glacier, Greenland
July 17, 2012, Landsat 7 (path/row 45/1) — 2012 calving event, Petermann Glacier, Greenland
July 19, 2012, Landsat 7 (path/row 43/1) — 2012 calving event, Petermann Glacier, Greenland
July 21, 2012, Landsat 7 (path/row 41/1) — 2012 calving event, Petermann Glacier, Greenland

Petermann Glacier, Greenland Additional Imagery & Stories

2010 Ice Break
2010 Ice Break

Scientists observed rifts in Petermann Glacier throughout the first decade of the 2000s. The rift that caused the 2010 break was first spotted in sate...

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2017 Rift
2017 Rift

A new rift formed on Petermann Glacier in 2017. An older crack to the right of the new rift also extends toward the glacier’s center. By 2020, this ne...

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Seasonal Changes
Seasonal Changes

Landsat 8 has a 16-day repeat cycle. That means it images the same spot on the ground every 16 days. However, there is some overlap at the sides of th...

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The Long Dark Winter
The Long Dark Winter

Compare the two Landsat images from June 24, 2014, and September 19, 2014. At this high latitude, the sun angle becomes very low later in the year. Th...

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“Nighttime” Images
“Nighttime” Images

Landsat 8 normally images all Earth landmasses every 16 days. However, at high latitudes, there is considerable overlap because Landsat 8’s orbital tr...

Read More
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