The last ice shelf in Canada collapsed into the ocean. He lost 40% in two days

The last completely intact ice shelf in the Canadian Arctic has collapsed into the ocean, losing more than 40% of its

Milne Glacier is located on the edge of Ellesmere Island, in Canada's sparsely populated northern territory.

The glacier lost 43% of its volume in two days. A piece of ice about 80 square meters in size broke off the shelf. km is more than the area of ​​all of Manhattan in New York. Researchers worry that the melting of Arctic sea ice will raise sea levels and pose a serious threat to thousands of marine species.

“The reasons are obvious: the air temperature is higher than normal; the sea winds and open water also affect the glacier. This glacier was enormous in size - it was similar in size to an entire city. This is a huge piece of ice "

Luke Copland, glaciologist at the University of Ottawa

According to scientists, this summer on the shelf wasfive degrees warmer than the 1981-2010 average. This has led to the acceleration of global warming in this area, it passes two to three times faster than in other parts of the planet. Experts note that other glaciers will face the same processes in the coming decades.

Researchers have not yet been able to reach the glacier,to take samples, however, they constantly observed him using satellite images and other technologies. “We were lucky that we were not on the ice shelf when this happened, otherwise our camp and all equipment would have been destroyed,” the scientists said.

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