Arctic ice shelf splits in big melt

By Paul Eccleston
Last Updated: 8:01pm BST 30/07/2008
Part of the Arctic ice shelf has sheared off creating two huge ice islands, Canadian scientists have revealed.

Ice melting in the Arctic: break-up of ice is seen by scientists as symptomatic of the warming of polar areas
Together the two islands cover an area of seven square miles and marked the biggest break up of the ice for three years.The scientists say they believe the split was almost certainly caused by the warming climate which is affecting polar regions more than anywhere else.
The chunks broke off from the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf on the coast of Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago to form new floating islands.
Scientists confirmed the break up by flying over the scene and by analysing satellite data.
The north side of Ellesmere Island in Canada's Nunavut territory is surrounded by plateaus of thick and floating ice believed to be thousands of years old with the largest - Ward Hunt - covering 171 square miles.

"We ascertained that in the 20th century 90 percent of the ice surface area (in the region) has been lost," said Derek Mueller, a Polar specialist at Canada's Trent University.
"So, this phenomena has been ongoing on for a long time, but we're now seeing punctuated events."
He said the Petersen Ice Shelf, which lost a third of its surface area between 2005 and 2007, was a good example.
The break-up of ice, known as calving, is regarded by scientists as being symptomatic of the warming of polar areas.