AssetID: 55944086
Headline: Iceberg 'the size of Manhattan' breaks off Greenland glacier in largest single loss of ice in a decade
Caption: **VIDEO AVAILABLE: CONTACT INFO@COVERMG.COM TO RECEIVE** BY MARK WORGAN Satellite images show a vast section of a glacier in north-west Greenland has broken away - the largest single loss of ice there in more than a decade. Europe's Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission captured the dramatic change at Petermann Glacier, where a 76 sq km section of its floating ice tongue detached on 4 August. The event is the glacier's largest loss of floating ice since 2012 and the most significant calving event in the Arctic since 2020. The newly formed tabular iceberg, sometimes known as an "ice island", is estimated to be up to 150 m thick and the size of Manhattan. Radar images taken by Sentinel-1 on 3 August showed significant deterioration along the centre of the glacier's ice tongue. By the following day, the vast iceberg had broken away from its eastern side. Sentinel-1's radar can observe the Earth day and night and through cloud cover, making it particularly useful for monitoring remote Arctic glaciers. An international team of researchers has been using the satellite imagery to monitor Petermann Glacier since 2019. The work is partly funded through the European Space Agency's FutureEO ARCTEX project. Scientists from the University of Ottawa, the Universities of Stirling, Lancaster and Leeds, and Environment and Climate Change Canada's Canadian Ice Service have documented the gradual growth of fractures and increasing signs of instability in the glacier's floating ice tongue. Adam Garbo, a PhD student at the University of Ottawa, said, “Petermann Glacier has long been one of Greenland’s largest remaining ice tongues. We’ve anticipated this break for years, and seeing it finally happen is remarkable. It’s a powerful reminder of how quickly these systems can change.” Petermann Glacier has experienced several major calving events, including the formation of large ice islands in 2008, 2010 and 2012. However, its floating ice tongue had remained relatively stable since 2012, despite several smaller calving events. Researchers say the latest break may not be the last major change. Two further large sections of ice, with estimated surface areas of about 97 and 87 sq km, could also detach as existing rifts continue to spread across the floating ice tongue. Anna Crawford, from the University of Stirling, said, “While large, tabular icebergs are relatively common in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica, Arctic ice islands are far rarer. “By studying Arctic ice islands, we will gain knowledge that can be transferred across polar regions. This is critical for understanding how the calving and deterioration of ice islands impact glacier dynamics, sea-level rise and the ocean environment.” The researchers were able to examine the fractures in unusual detail using synthetic aperture radar images taken a day apart during the tandem commissioning phase of the newly launched Sentinel-1D satellite. The data allowed scientists to measure the spread of fractures across the ice tongue, as well as movements in its surface caused by ocean tides, in the days leading up to the calving event. Molly Hammond, a PhD student at the University of Leeds who processed the Sentinel-1 data, said, “The changes we observed on Petermann Glacier were occurring very rapidly in the lead up to the iceberg calving event, so it was incredibly exciting to monitor the crack propagation with interferometry in near-real time. This has demonstrated the incredible value of one-day repeat synthetic aperture data.” ESA's Martin Wearing said the event offered a rare opportunity to study the behaviour of such a large Arctic iceberg. “This type of large tabular iceberg is relatively rare in the Arctic, making this calving event a unique opportunity to study how such a vast ice mass drifts, evolves and eventually breaks apart. “Satellite missions such as Sentinel-1 provide the systematic, long-term observations needed to track these changes, helping scientists better understand the processes driving calving and the wider impacts on the polar environment, and ultimately the Earth system as a whole. “Alongside Europe’s excellent Earth observation missions, we are pleased to see the ARCTEX project supporting this work and enabling further scientific investigation of the rapidly evolving Arctic.” The team will continue to monitor both Petermann Glacier and the newly calved iceberg using satellite images, aerial observations and tracking data. Scientists hope the measurements will provide further insight into how large Arctic ice islands behave, including how they drift and fragment, and the processes shaping the future of Petermann Glacier. The break also has practical implications for Arctic shipping and offshore operations. Environment and Climate Change Canada is monitoring the iceberg's path and assessing possible risks to shipping routes and infrastructure. Large ice masses can remain at sea for years, gradually breaking into smaller fragments that may become increasingly difficult to detect and track.
Keywords: feature,photo,glacier,iceberg,greenland,esa
PersonInImage: Petermann ice tongue April–August 2026.