Look: Satellites Capture Dramatic Moment a Manhattan-Sized Iceberg Broke Away from a Greenland Glacier

A massive chunk of Greenland’s Petermann Glacier has broken away, forming an iceberg the size of Manhattan. The event, captured by the European Space Agency’s Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission on August 4, was the most significant Arctic calving event recorded in years. The new “ice island,” also known as a tabular iceberg, is estimated to be close to 500 feet thick and represents the single largest loss of floating ice since 2012. The detachment occurred after months of signs of instability, including cracks in the glacier’s ice tongue, which were first detected in late 2023.

Satellites revealed the rapid breakup, with interferometric measurements from 2026 showing signs of deformation and fractures spreading through the ice tongue in advance of the event. The calving event was anticipated for years, and scientists had been monitoring the glacier since 2019. The detachment occurred as the crew aboard the RRS Sir David Attenborough watched the dramatic display unfold, with cameras capturing the moment. The event was also observed by an international team of researchers using Sentinel-1 imagery.

The calving event marks the end of a period of relative stability for the Petermann Glacier, which had remained mostly stable since 2012. Researchers believe two more sections, measuring around 97 and 87 square kilometers, are likely to detach as existing rifts continue to appear and gradually separate. The event is rare in the Arctic, making it a unique opportunity to study how such a vast ice mass drifts, evolves, and eventually breaks apart. The new ice island will continue to drift, and its movement will be monitored by Environment and Climate Change Canada to assess any potential risks to Arctic shipping and offshore infrastructure.

AI-generated summary of the original article — see the source for the full story.