The Larsen Ice Shelf is a long ice shelf that extends along the east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula.
Ice shelves are critical for holding back glaciers that would otherwise flow into the ocean and add to sea levels.
The Larsen Ice Shelf is divided into four parts.
- Larsen A – This ice shelf finished melting in January 1995
- Larsen B – This ice shelf was stable for at least 10,000 years until January 2022, when it suddenly broke-up over the course of a few days
- Larsen C – This ice shelf is the largest remaining ice shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula. It is important as it restrains glaciers that contain enough ice to raise global sea levels
- Larsen D – This ice shelf is considered to be generally stable. Over roughly the past fifty years it has expanded while Larsen C has retreated.
pathways:
09.06.2022 / Live Science / Discovery of ‘hidden world’ under Antarctic ice has scientists ‘jumping for joy’
14.04.2022 / Phys.org / Researchers identify biggest threats to Larsen C ice shelf
14.04.2022 / New York Times / Why Did Two Antarctic Ice Shelves Fail? Scientists Say They Now Know.
02.02.2022 / Yale Environment / Remnant of Antarctica’s Larsen B Ice Shelf Disintegrates
14.05.2015 / NASA / Antarctica’s Larsen B Ice Shelf: The Final Act
