Apart from being yet more evidence that the global warming process is as real and as dangerous at it gets, the rupture of the ice bridge signals that the Wilkins Ice Shelf is on the brink of breaking away. The ice shelf broke off at the thinnest point of the 40-km (25-mile) strip of ice. According to satellite pictures provided by the European Apace Agency (ESA), that narrow point was of about 500 meters wide off the Antarctic Peninsula.

 

"It's amazing how the ice has ruptured. Two days ago it was intact," said David Vaughan, a glaciologist with the British Antarctic Survey, Reuters reported. 

 

"We've waited a long time to see this."

 

The rupture of the ice bridge sent a great number of huge flat-topped icebergs in the icy waters on the western side of the Antarctic peninsula. As of 1950, the ice bridge was of almost 100 km wide. 

 

The break off will have practically little impact on the sea level, but it raises concerns over the effects of the climate change, especially the effects it has on this part of the Antarctica. According to the latest measurements, researchers said the frozen continent has been going through unprecedented warming over the past 50 year. 

 

According to the scientists who checked the data from satellites and weather stations, over the past half of a century, the warming process registered reached about 0.6 C. the break off of the Wilkins Ice Shelf has been the biggest short term worries for scientists.  

 

Recent studies from researchers who took measurement across the entire continent show that Antarctica’s average has increased by 0.12 C every decade since 1957. There were some scientists who were skeptic that claimed Antarctica was actually cooling in some areas, but the latest findings and measurement were refutable even to them.  

 

Antarctica isn't warming at the same rate everywhere, but the western part of the continent is showing signs of warming up much faster than anticipated, said Eric Steig, Professor of Earth and space sciences Eric Steig from the University of Washington who led a research on the issue. 

 

Scientists claim that the warming process is likely to accelerate in the near future, leading to the melting of several portions of the continent. According to the estimates, losing only a fraction of the continent’s ice sheet could mean a rise in the sea level by at least two meters - which might occur by the end of the century and cause devastating problems for many coastal cities and other areas. The scenario about the melt-down of the continent’s entire frozen water puts the world in a great danger, as it would raise the sea level by 57 meters (187 feet), covering many islands and cities.