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Ships on alert as icebergs drift
Source: Agencies |
November 25, 2009, Wednesday
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SHIPS in the south Pacific Ocean have been alerted that groups of icebergs believed to have split off Antarctic ice shelves are drifting north toward New Zealand, officials said yesterday.
The alert comes three years after cold weather and favorable ocean currents caused dozens of icebergs to float close to New Zealand's southern shores for the first time in 75 years.
Rodney Russ, expedition leader on the tourist ship Spirit of Enderby, spotted an iceberg on Monday that was 92 kilometers northeast of Macquarie Island and heading north, about 800 kilometers south of New Zealand.
The iceberg was up to 150 meters long and 25 to 30 meters high, he said. The vessel located another large iceberg on its radar and chunks of ice floating nearby, he added.
Four icebergs were spotted last week off Auckland Islands, 400 kilometers south of New Zealand and heading slowly toward the country.
Australian scientists reported another mass of 20 icebergs drifting north past Macquarie Island two weeks ago. Glaciologist Neal Young said satellite images showed the group of icebergs, spread over a sea area of 1,000 kilometers by 700 kilometers, moving on ocean currents away from Antarctica. New Zealand maritime officials have issued navigation warnings for that area.
It is rare for whole icebergs to drift so far north before melting, but a cold snap around southern New Zealand and favorable ocean currents have again combined to push the towering visitors to the region intact.
The alert comes three years after cold weather and favorable ocean currents caused dozens of icebergs to float close to New Zealand's southern shores for the first time in 75 years.
Rodney Russ, expedition leader on the tourist ship Spirit of Enderby, spotted an iceberg on Monday that was 92 kilometers northeast of Macquarie Island and heading north, about 800 kilometers south of New Zealand.
The iceberg was up to 150 meters long and 25 to 30 meters high, he said. The vessel located another large iceberg on its radar and chunks of ice floating nearby, he added.
Four icebergs were spotted last week off Auckland Islands, 400 kilometers south of New Zealand and heading slowly toward the country.
Australian scientists reported another mass of 20 icebergs drifting north past Macquarie Island two weeks ago. Glaciologist Neal Young said satellite images showed the group of icebergs, spread over a sea area of 1,000 kilometers by 700 kilometers, moving on ocean currents away from Antarctica. New Zealand maritime officials have issued navigation warnings for that area.
It is rare for whole icebergs to drift so far north before melting, but a cold snap around southern New Zealand and favorable ocean currents have again combined to push the towering visitors to the region intact.
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