Iceberg B-17B
Encyclopedia
Iceberg B-17B is an iceberg
twice the size of Manhattan
, floating in the southern ocean
approximately 1700 kilometres (1,056.3 mi) off the coast of Western Australia
. Iceberg B-17B measures approximately 140 square kilometre and calved off the Ross Ice Shelf
in 1999.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology issued a warning in mid-December 2009 to users of shipping lanes
in the area.
Iceberg
An iceberg is a large piece of ice from freshwater that has broken off from a snow-formed glacier or ice shelf and is floating in open water. It may subsequently become frozen into pack ice...
twice the size of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, floating in the southern ocean
Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60°S latitude and encircling Antarctica. It is usually regarded as the fourth-largest of the five principal oceanic divisions...
approximately 1700 kilometres (1,056.3 mi) off the coast of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. Iceberg B-17B measures approximately 140 square kilometre and calved off the Ross Ice Shelf
Ross Ice Shelf
The Ross Ice Shelf is the largest ice shelf of Antarctica . It is several hundred metres thick. The nearly vertical ice front to the open sea is more than 600 km long, and between 15 and 50 metres high above the water surface...
in 1999.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology issued a warning in mid-December 2009 to users of shipping lanes
Sea lane
A sea lane or shipping lane is a regularly used route for ocean-going and Great Lakes vessels. In the time of sailing ships they were not only determined by the distribution of land masses but also the prevailing winds, whose discovery was crucial for the success of long voyages...
in the area.