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Two UK scientists keeping track of Manhattan size iceberg moving in the Southern ocean

Thursday, November 14th 2013 - 19:20 UTC
Full article 10 comments
Professor Bigg is a leading iceberg expert from the University of Sheffield  Professor Bigg is a leading iceberg expert from the University of Sheffield

An Iceberg, the size of Manhattan in area, was derived from the Pine Island Glacier, and is currently moving through the Southern Ocean. To keep track of its movements and melting Professor Grant Bigg of UK's University of Sheffield has been awarded a £50,000 grant from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) for the 6 month project.

 The research collected by tracking its movement, and modeling its trajectory and melting, through the ocean will be used by the shipping industry and associated agencies currently using the Southern Ocean in providing more accurate ice warnings.

Each of the last three years has seen a giant iceberg calve, from either Greenland or Antarctica. Being able to track and forecast the tracks of these huge blocks of ice will be a major benefit to the shipping industry, particularly as more ships begin to use polar waters, as Arctic sea-ice melts. This ability is what we aim to develop” Professor Grant Bigg said.

The professor is a leading researcher in Icebergs and their role in the ocean's freshwater flux and the interactions between climate change and society. He is working with Dr. Bob Marsh, an ocean modeler at the University of Southampton, on this project.

The NERC is the UK’s main agency for funding and managing research, training and knowledge exchange in the environmental sciences. Their work covers the full range of atmospheric, Earth, biological, terrestrial and aquatic science, from the deep oceans to the upper atmosphere and from the poles to the equator.

Top Comments

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  • Briton

    Apparently CFK is watching this with interest,
    She is convinced the British are using a secret weapon to steer the ice burg up to the Falklands for defence research.

    Apparently the nasty British are going to try and sink the argentine navy [what’s left of it] and leave no evidence,

    So they say ??
    .

    Nov 14th, 2013 - 07:45 pm 0
  • Britworker

    We are tracking it from Queen Elizabeth land :-)

    Nov 14th, 2013 - 08:41 pm 0
  • redp0ll

    @1 Made out of pycrete perhaps and called Habbakuk?

    Nov 14th, 2013 - 09:23 pm 0
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