Un isiqa esikhulu somkhenkce U-Larsen C wase-Antarctica wayeza kuqhekeka kwiinyanga ezimbalwa ezizayo kwaye ke uya kuba yenye ye-10 enkulu yomkhenkce eyakha yabonwa.
Ukuba iceberg ekugqibeleni iyaqhekeka, kwaye kunjengokuba kubonakala kunjalo, iyakuba yiyo ngenxa yokuqhekeka okukhulu kwishelufa lomkhenkce ebelikhula ngokuzinzileyo kumashumi eminyaka adlulileyo.
Ukuqhekeka ngesiquphe kwaqala ukukhula ngaphezulu kwe-17,7 yeekhilomitha ngoDisemba kwaye ngoku ziikhilomitha ezingama-80 ubude ngeekhilomitha ezili-18,5 kuphela ukwaphula ngokupheleleyo. Amanzi afudumeleyo phantsi kweshelufu somkhenkce kunye nomoya ofudumeleyo ongentla unokuba negalelo ekukhuleni okubonakalayo, nangona izazinzulu kungokunje zingenabo ubungqina obucacileyo besona sizathu.
Unjingalwazi weYunivesithi yase-Swansea kunye nenkokheli yeqela lokubeka esweni u-Adrian Luckman uxelele i-BBC ukuba ukuba i-iceberg ayihluli Kwiinyanga ezimbalwa ezizayo, ungothuka kakhulu ukuba khange yenzeke ngoluhlobo:
Khange kubekho kwaneleyo imifanekiso engenamafu evela kwiLandsatKodwa sikwazile ukudibanisa imifanekiso eliqela ye-radar ye-Esa Sentinel-1 ukufumanisa ubungakanani, kwaye ke kubonakala ngathi ayinakuphepheka ukuba kuphele ngokupheleleyo.
El Ingxaki yokwenyani ngokuqhekeka komkhenkce kukuba oku kungachaphazela uLarsen C. Ishelf ice engummelwane yaziwa ngokuba yiLarsen B kwaye yaqhekeka yabangamawakawaka ukusukela ngo-2002. , ezinokonakalisa iindawo zokuhlala zonxweme.
Ngaba uya kuba umcimbi weenyanga esinokwazi ukuba ngaba ishelufu lomkhenkce ngokwenene esele sazi ngokwahlukana kwakhe kwiinyanga ezi-4 ezidlulileyo, ihlala ingabambeki kwaye ayide yahlulwe kwiAntarctica.