Petermann glacier break-up

[snowsure]

Your valued opinion is requested:

It says here (http://bprc.osu.edu/MODIS/ ) that the longest floating glacier in the Northern Hemisphere is breaking up. The animation of the break-up seems a little curious though.

What do you think?

[Iceberg]

I am sure your get two or more points of view, but I think my take is.

As the attached AMRSE picture from yesterday shows there is very little ice in the smith sound this year and last year.

The block up of ice acts like a plug keeping the glaciers etc from just collapsing out (a very similar response was seen in Antarctica.)

Remove the plug and the ice from these glacial inlets spills out.

[Iceberg]

The latest pic from the glacier. 2 Days ago.

[Gray-Wolf]

If the blockage was cementing itself to the Valley sides and base then you'd imagine it'd all 'slouch forward' when the blockage has gone. This can lead to a 'runnaway effect' though as water 'floats' sections that were on bedrock leading to further slippage (and forward movement as it is 'squeezed' out of it's tube)