Giant Icebergs' Tracks Discovered Off UK Coast, Informing Antarctic Climate Insights

Researchers have uncovered evidence that massive, flat-topped icebergs—some as large as cities—once drifted as close as 90 miles off the UK coast during the last ice age, around 18,000 to 20,000 years ago. Distinctive comb-like grooves on the North Sea floor, identified through seismic survey data, reveal the tracks left by these giant icebergs as they moved through the region. This marks the first definitive proof that the British-Irish ice sheet produced giant tabular icebergs, indicating the former presence of ice shelves similar to those seen in Antarctica today. The discovery offers important clues for understanding ice sheet stability and the potential implications of contemporary climate change on Antarctic ice shelves. Scientists estimate these icebergs were five to several tens of kilometers wide and up to a couple hundred meters thick, comparable in size to medium-sized UK cities. The research highlights a regime shift from large to smaller icebergs as the ice shelves collapsed in response to warming, providing insights into possible future changes in polar regions.