Credit: University of Alabama at Birmingham

University of Alabama at Birmingham polar biologist and Antarctic explorer, Jim McClintock, Ph.D., provided advance insight into the Larsen C ice shelf break that occurred sometime between Monday, July 10 and Wednesday, July 12.

This ice shelf break, which encompasses a 5,800 , one-trillion ton section of Larsen C in Antarctica, is one of the biggest iceberg breaks ever recorded in history. Its volume is more twice that of Lake Erie.

McClintock offers a unique perspective on this monumental event, as he speaks to the incredible effects that Antarctica's extremely diverse ecosystem will experience, and ultimately how this break will impact global ecology.

Provided by University of Alabama at Birmingham