May 6, 2002, Washington D.C.-- The National Ice Center (NIC) confirms an iceberg newly calved from the Ross Ice Shelf (Figure 1). The Ross Ice Shelf is a large sheet of glacial ice and snow extending from the Antarctic mainland into the southern Ross Sea. This new iceberg is named C-18 and is currently located at 77.78S/ 178.78E. Iceberg C-18, roughly 41NM long and 4NM wide, covers an area of approximately 164 square nautical miles. National Ice Center analyst Ms. Judy Shaffier spotted the new berg while performing a weekly analysis of the Ross Sea. Ms. Shaffier located the berg using the satellite image shown from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program's (DMSP) Operational Line Scan (OLS) Infrared 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, C-18 is sequentially the 18th iceberg tracked by the NIC in Antarctica between 180-90E (Quadrant C).

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:
voice: 301-457-5303 ext: 306
e-mail: liaison@natice.noaa.gov