Brunt Ice Shelf: Big iceberg calves near UK Antarctic base

Estimates put it at around 1,270 sq km. Greater London is about 1,500 sq km; the Welsh county of Monmouthshire is roughly 1,300 sq km. That’s big by any measure, although not as large as the monster A68 berg which calved in July 2017 from the Larsen C Ice Shelf on the western side of the Weddell Sea. But even at a quarter of the size of A68, the Brunt block will need to be tracked because of the future risk it could pose to shipping. The US National Ice Center will give the new berg a designation in due course. Because it is in the same Antarctic quadrant (0-90W) as A68’s origin, the Brunt berg will also carry the letter “A” in its name. It’s likely to be called A74.