Antarctica iceberg calving
© COPERNICUS DATA/SENTINEL-1
An iceberg the size of greater London (1,636 km2) has just snapped off the Amery ice shelf in east Antarctica. And while alarmists will be blindly clamoring to link the event to global warming, the facts tell an entirely different story.

Ice shelves are essentially floating extensions of glaciers that hold back the flow of ground ice.

When an iceberg breaks off an ice sheet it is known as 'calving'.

Calving is a form of ice ablation or ice disruption, and is caused by a glacier EXPANDING, not melting.

Kelly Brunt, a glaciologist with Nasa and the University of Maryland, explained "the process of formation was a bit like a fingernail growing too long and cracking off at the end."

Ice bergs calving is due to a glacier GROWING
© www.AntarcticGlaciers.orgIce bergs calving is due to a glacier GROWING.

A large calving event hasn't occurred at the Amery ice shelf since 1963-64 (solar minimum of cycle 19). Scientists expect to see such a major event in this area every 60 years-or-so, meaning this latest one is bang on schedule.

And to those young activist thinking of holding a funeral for the Amery ice shelf, don't bother — the section that broke of, named Iceberg D-28, represent just 2.7% of the floating ice area.

The only concern is for passing ships, as D-28 now poses a potential hazard.

The cold times are returning, in line with historically low solar activity.

NASA research reveals this next solar cycle (25) will be "the weakest of the past 200 years":

NASA solar cycle 25 prediction