A glacier the size of one and a half Kyiv collapsed due to abnormal temperatures in Antarctica

According to satellite data, the Konger Ice Shelf has completely collapsed in East Antarctica as a result of record high temperatures.

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Conger, which had a surface area of ​​about 1,200 square kilometers, collapsed around March 15th. For comparison, the area of ​​Kyiv is 840 sq. km.

Ice shelves are extensions of ice sheets that float above the ocean and play an important role in containing inland ice. Without them, inland ice flows faster into the ocean, causing sea levels to rise, according to theguardian.com.

Although the Conger Ice Shelf was relatively small, NASA Earth and Planetary Specialist Dr Katherine Colello Walker believes it is one of the most significant collapse events in Antarctica since the Larsen B Ice Shelf broke up in the early 2000s.

“Most likely, this will not have serious consequences, but it is a sign of what could happen,” Walker said.

Australian Center of Excellence for Antarctic Sciences professor Matt King said that since the ice shelves are already floating, the Conger split itself will not have much of an impact on sea levels. Fortunately, the glacier behind the Conger Ice Shelf was small, so it will have little effect on sea levels in the future.

However, scientists are particularly concerned about the future of the Florida-sized Thwaites Glacier, also called the Doomsday Glacier, which is about 100 times larger than Larsen B and contains enough water to raise global sea levels by more than half a meter.