London, May 22, (dpa/GNA) – A large iceberg has broken off the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) research organization has said.

The iceberg, measuring 380 square kilometres, broke off on Monday weeks after a 14-kilometre crack opened up in the ice.

The calving – the scientific term for the separation of ice chunks from a glacier or ice mass – was the third in the region in the past four years. BAS scientists identified instabilities in the area more than a decade ago, resulting in the British research station Halley being moved 20 kilometres inland in 2016.

BAS researcher Oliver Marsh said: “This calving was expected since the appearance of Halloween Crack eight years ago and reduces the total area of the ice shelf to its smallest extent since monitoring began.”

The BAS press release said the event is not linked to climate change.

The Halley base is manned from November to March during the Antarctic summer. The region is monitored during the rest of the year with the help of satellite imagery.

GNA