May 17, 2002, Washington D.C.-- The National Ice Center (NIC) confirms an iceberg newly calved from the Lazarev Ice Shelf (Figure 1). The Lazarev Ice Shelf is a large sheet of glacial ice and snow extending from the Antarctic mainland into the southeastern Weddell Sea. D-17 is currently located near 69.4S 15.9E and measures 30nm long by 6nm wide. The National Ice Center confirmed calving of D-17 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, D-17 is sequentially the 17th iceberg tracked by the NIC in Antarctica between 90E-0 (Quadrant D).

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:
National Ice Center
Naval Ice Center
Command Duty Officer
voice: 301-394-3100
e-mail: liaison@natice.noaa.gov