Iceberg A-43 splashed into the ocean during the afternoon or evening of May 4, scientists say. Iceberg A-44 calved in the afternoon or evening of May 6, at or near the time that A-43 broke in half (resulting in the "A" and "B' designations).
How are icebergs named?
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 to 90 degrees west longitude (Bellinghausen/Weddell Sea)
- B = 90 degrees west to 180 (Amundsen/Eastern Ross Sea)
- C = 180 to 90 degrees east (Western Ross Sea/Wilkesland)
- D = 90 degrees east to 0 (Amery/Eastern Weddell Sea)
One of many
Last fall, an iceberg known as B-10A floated into the public spotlight when it drifted into shipping lanes off the southern coast of Chile after years of migration. Some researchers have said the ice shelves are in "full retreat," melting rapidly in the face of a changing climate.
Though icebergs melt very, very slowly, the disintegration process speeds up when they reach warmer water, often creating several smaller bits and pieces of ice.
Bergies and growlers
Smaller bits, greenish or black and somewhat transparent, average several square yards (meters) in area, and they stick no more than 3 feet (1 meter) above the water. They're called growlers. Larger chunks -- poking up to 15 feet (4.5 meters) into the air -- are classified as bergy bits.
Go ahead and laugh; even sea-ice analyst Selina Nauman, who works at the National Ice Center, chuckles when she explains these terms.
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