Overview
- A 29-square-mile (76 sq km) tabular iceberg detached from Petermann Glacier on August 4, 2026, in the largest loss of floating ice at that glacier since 2012.
- High-cadence Sentinel-1 radar and interferometric measurements showed months of growing fractures and rapid crack propagation in the days before the iceberg separated.
- Researchers estimate the new ice island may be about 150 meters thick and roughly the size of Manhattan, marking the biggest Arctic calving event recorded since 2020.
- Environment and Climate Change Canada and international teams are continuously tracking the iceberg for hazards to shipping and offshore operations because large ice islands can persist and later fragment into hard-to-detect pieces.
- Scientists view the event as a rare chance to study Arctic tabular icebergs and glacier response to ocean warming, and they warn two additional large sections of the ice tongue—estimated around 97 km2 and 87 km2—could detach as existing rifts spread.