Iceberg B-21 Calves Off Pine Island Glacier
Last Update: August 19, 2008

November 15, 2001, Washington D.C.-- The National Ice Center (NIC) discovered an iceberg newly calved from the Pine Island Glacier (Figure 1). The Pine Island Glacier is a large sheet of glacial ice and snow extending from the Antarctic mainland into the southern Amundsen Sea. This new iceberg is named B-21and is currently located at 74.076S/ 102.00W. Iceberg B-21, roughly 22NM long and 8NM wide, covers an area of approximately 233 square statute miles. National Ice Center analyst AG1 Oliver Jedlick spotted the new berg while performing a weekly update of Antarctic Iceberg Database. AG1 Jedlick located the berg using the satellite image shown above from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program's (DMSP) Operational Line Scan (OLS) Visible sensor.

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 an iceberg is first sighted, NIC documents its point of origin. The letter of the quadrant, along with a sequential number is assigned to the iceberg. For example, B-21 is sequentially the 21st iceberg found by the NIC in Antarctica between 0-90W (Quadrant B).

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 world-wide 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:
ENS Christi Montgomery, Ice Products Branch Chief
voice: 301-457-5303 ext: 306
e-mail: cmontgomery@natice.noaa.gov