March 23, 2000, Washington, D.C. – The National Ice Center (NIC) has
been tracking a large iceberg newly calved from the Ross Ice Shelf (Figure
1). The Ross Ice Shelf, the largest ice shelf in Antarctica, is a massive
sheet of glacial ice and snow extending from the Eastern Antarctic mainland
into the southern Ross Sea. This new iceberg B-15, and a smaller companion
B-16, are currently located at 78 20S / 170 38W and 78 05S / 177 13W, respectively.
Iceberg B-15, roughly 158 NM long by 20 NM wide, covers an area of approximately
10915 square km, and is about as long as the State of Maryland. Iceberg
B-16 is 20 NM long by 08 NM wide. The larger iceberg, B-15, was discovered
initially by National Science Foundation forecasters in McMurdo Sound on
March 17, 2000, and reported to NIC for verification. The satellite image
shown below from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program’s (DMSP)
Operational Line Scan (OLS) infrared sensor.
