Iceberg B-15R Calves, Iceberg B-15T Named
Last Update: August 19, 2008

December 28, 2007, Washington D.C. -- The National Ice Center (NIC) discovered iceberg B-15R has calved, creating an iceberg that meets criteria for naming and tracking by the NIC. Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) imagery first indicated calving on 28 December 2007 (Figure 1) and clearly shows a portion of the berg detached from B-15R. The new iceberg will be named B-15T, being the 20th occurrence that a portion of B-15 has calved. B-15T is currently located at 67.19S 77.56W, and measures 11NM x 02NM, based off MODIS imagery from 28 December 2007.

Iceberg names are derived from the Antarctic quadrant in which they were originally sighted. The quadrants are divided counter-clockwise in the following manner:

A = 0-90W (Bellinghausen/Weddell Sea)
B = 90W-180 (Amundsen/Eastern Ross Sea)
C = 180-90E (Western Ross Sea/Wilkesland)
D = 90E-0 (Amery/Eastern Weddell Sea).

When first sighted, an iceberg’s point of origin is documented by the NIC. The letter of the quadrant, along with a sequential number, is assigned to the iceberg. For example, B-17 is sequentially the 17th iceberg tracked by the NIC in Antarctica between 90W-180 (Amundsen/Eastern Ross Sea).

The National Ice Center is a tri-agency operational center represented by the United States Navy (Department of Defense), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Department of Commerce), and the United States Coast Guard (Department of Homeland Security). The National Ice Center mission is to provide worldwide operational ice analyses for the armed forces of the United States and allied nations, U.S. government agencies, and the private sector.

For more information, please contact:
National Ice Center
Naval Ice Center
Liaison Branch
Voice: 301-394-3100
E-mail: liaison@natice.noaa.gov