Cracks in Greenland glacier could lead to massive calving event

The significant crack is close to the center of Petermann Glacier's floating ice shelf, which is a unusual place for it to be according to scientists.

NASA's Operation IceBridge, which has been flying over northwest Greenland for the past several days, took the photos after being provided coordinates by Stef Lhermitte, a professor at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, who had spotted the oddly located chasm by examining satellite images.

While they had a range of reactions, all agreed that the images did appear to show an apparent crack.

Mr Lhermitte posted satellite images on Twitter alerting a Petermann Glacier expedition team of the crack and questioning whether it was a prelude of a new island, or simply ocean forcing creating the rift.

But Box also added that "It will probably be several years before we see action like in 2010 and 2012".

Petermann Glacier's east wall near the terminus of the floating ice shelf. He also sent data suggesting that Petermann has lost over 100 square miles of ice and over ten miles of length since those events. This would not raise sea levels as the ice is already floating on the surface of water but it would make room for new ice to begin flowing into the sea which could increase sea levels slightly. But if the next piece breaks off, the size of the glacier would plunge once again, according to Jason Box of the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland.

"It is unusual to see cracks forming from the center".

Needless to say, the crack is definitely a cause for concern and requires more digging into what caused it and whether it has the potential to trigger bigger changes. Just from 2000 to 2011, the ice loss through Jakobshavn alone caused the global sea level to rise by a millimeter. When the Greenland ice sheet starts to go, it may take a while to melt but it is almost impossible to stop. They also suggested that floating sea ice at the front of Petermann Glacier is likely keeping the cracks from widening further by holding the shelf in place - but noted that this bracing function will disappear as summer approaches and the sea ice dissipates. "This could indicate that the ice shelf has gotten too thin in the middle", scientist Eric Rignot from NASA and the University of California, Irvine said.

The rapid melting and breaking off of glaciers is one of the more significant evidence of climate change that could lead to devastating effects on other parts of Earth. But Jakobshavn is the single biggest ice loser.