SYDNEY (AFP) – More than 100, and possibly hundreds, of Antarctic icebergs are floating towards New Zealand in a rare event which has prompted a shipping warning, officials said on Monday.
An Australian Antarctic Division glaciologist said the ice chunks, spotted by satellite photography, had passed the Auckland Islands and were heading towards the main South Island, about 450 kilometres (280 miles) northeast.
Scientist Neal Young said more than 100 icebergs -- some measuring more than 200 metres (650 feet) across -- were seen in just one cluster, indicating there could be hundreds more.
He said they were the remains of a massive ice floe which split from the Antarctic as sea and air temperatures rise due to global warming.
"All of these have come from a larger one that was probably 30 square kilometres (11.6 square miles) in size when it left Antarctica," Young told AFP.
"It's done a long circuit around Antarctica and now the bigger parts of it are breaking up and producing smaller ones."
He said large numbers of icebergs had not floated this close to New Zealand since 2006, when a number came within 25 kilometres of the coastline -- the first such sighting since 1931.
"They're following the same tracks now up towards New Zealand. Whether they make it up to the South Island or not is difficult to tell," Young said.
New Zealand has already issued coastal navigation warnings for the area in the Southern Ocean where the icebergs have been seen.
"It's really just a general warning for shipping in that area to be on the alert for icebergs," said Maritime New Zealand spokesman Ross Henderson.
The icebergs are smaller remnants of the giant chunks seen off Australia's Macquarie Island this month, including one estimated at two kilometres (1.2 miles) and another twice the size of Beijing's "Bird's Nest" Olympic Stadium.
Young earlier told AFP he expected to see more icebergs in the area if the Earth's temperature continues to increase.
"If the current trends in global warming were to continue I would anticipate seeing more icebergs and the large ice shelves breaking up," he said.
When icebergs last neared New Zealand in 2006, a sheep was helicoptered out to be shorn on one of the floes in a publicity stunt by the country's wool industry.
Over 100 icebergs drifting to N.Zealand
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Re: Over 100 icebergs drifting to N.Zealand
Did you pass?fishfarm wrote:test
Re: Over 100 icebergs drifting to N.Zealand
I guess they had global warming when the Titanic sank.
Re: Over 100 icebergs drifting to N.Zealand
Apparently it doesn't happen often in New Zealand, which also is no where near where the Titanic sank. But I digress.Marty wrote:I guess they had global warming when the Titanic sank.
sTony
Re: Over 100 icebergs drifting to N.Zealand
I saw the scientist being interviewed and he said it was common but that one this size was extremely rare. The Aussies are taking a case of coke and a bottle of rum and heading for the ice.
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Re: Over 100 icebergs drifting to N.Zealand
That's a good one.Ringer wrote:I saw the scientist being interviewed and he said it was common but that one this size was extremely rare. The Aussies are taking a case of coke and a bottle of rum and heading for the ice.
I liked the part where the last time was back in 1931, when there were billions of cars on the road and factories covered the earth like they do now... NOT (China had zero cars back then, but millions now, and we had only a few compared to now ourselves, and factories? Well...).
I'm just sayin'
Otay Michael
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All I need to get into the money would be the four I usually get along with a 20# kicker.
Own no boring art: www.seewald.com
Name written in the book of life.
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