Images
December 16, 2013 - Iceberg C16
Tweet
On December 1, 2013 the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite flew over the southern Indian Ocean and captured this true-color image of Iceberg C16 floating in the remote waters.
Iceberg C16 was formed from the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica in September of 2000 as the result of an accident – the gigantic B15 iceberg crashed into the shelf and caused a chunk to break away. After it calved, C16 was trapped with four other icebergs near Ross Island for at least five years before it made its way into more open water.
While Arctic icebergs drift on prevailing currents and often end up in sea lanes, Antarctic icebergs tend to hug the continent and don’t often jam shipping lanes. While no threat to ship traffic, Iceberg C16 has moved well away from land. According to the NASA Scatterometer Climate Record Pathfinder (SCP), it is currently located at 3°46’ W and 56°50’ S.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 12/1/2013
Resolutions:
1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
On December 1, 2013 the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite flew over the southern Indian Ocean and captured this true-color image of Iceberg C16 floating in the remote waters.
Iceberg C16 was formed from the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica in September of 2000 as the result of an accident – the gigantic B15 iceberg crashed into the shelf and caused a chunk to break away. After it calved, C16 was trapped with four other icebergs near Ross Island for at least five years before it made its way into more open water.
While Arctic icebergs drift on prevailing currents and often end up in sea lanes, Antarctic icebergs tend to hug the continent and don’t often jam shipping lanes. While no threat to ship traffic, Iceberg C16 has moved well away from land. According to the NASA Scatterometer Climate Record Pathfinder (SCP), it is currently located at 3°46’ W and 56°50’ S.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Terra
Date Acquired: 12/1/2013
Resolutions:
1km ( B), 500m ( B), 250m ( B)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
