The Jakobshavn Glacier in Greenland recently lost a chunk that may register as one of the largest single losses in its history.
According to BBC News, the portion that broke off the glacier was about 12.4 square km. Scientists observed the iceberg breaking off of the glacier using the European Space Agency's (ESA) Sentinel satellites.
"The calving events of Jakobshavn are becoming more spectacular with time, and I am in awe with the calving speed and retreat rate of this glacier," Eric Rignot, a glaciologist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said in a news release. "These images are a very good example of the changes taking place in Greenland.
"What is important is that the ice front, or calving front, keeps retreating inland at galloping speeds."
The ESA estimated the chunk of ice the Jakobshavn Glacier lost a total volume of 17.5 cu km, roughly enough ice to "cover the whole of Manhattan Island by a layer of ice about 300m thick," BBC News reported.
Researchers believe the iceberg broke off the glacier between Aug. 14 and Aug. 16, as the images from the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on the Landsat 8 satellite detailing the break were taken over a 16-day span that month.
