Ellesmere Ice Shelf
Encyclopedia
The former Ellesmere Ice Shelf was the largest ice shelf
in the Arctic, encompassing about 3500 square miles (9,065 km²) of the north coast of Ellesmere Island
, Nunavut
, Canada
. The ice shelf was first documented by the British Arctic Expedition
of 1875-76, in which Lieutenant Pelham Aldrich
's party went from Cape Sheridan
(82.47°N, 61.50°W) west to Cape Alert (82.27°N, 85.55°W). The continuous mass of the Ellesmere Ice Shelf had been in place for at least 3,000 years.
During the twentieth century the Ellesmere Ice Shelf broke up into six separate shelves, the largest being the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf
. During the 1980s reassuring official science reported that the remnants were stable.
In April 2000, satellite images revealed that a large crack in the Ward Hunt shelf had begun to form, and in 2003 it was announced that the ice sheet had split completely in two in 2002, releasing a huge pool of fresh water from the largest epishelf lake in the Northern Hemisphere, located in Disraeli Fjord. In April 2008, it was discovered that the shelf was fractured into dozens of deep, multi-faceted cracks.
On August 13, 2005, The Ayles Ice Shelf
, which was located at (83°1.5′N 77°33.5′W), approximately 800 km (497.1 mi) south of the North Pole
, broke away from the coast forming the giant Ayles Ice Island 37 metres (121.4 ft) thick and measuring around 14 km (8.7 mi) by 5 km (3.1 mi) in size with an area of approximately 66 km² (25.5 sq mi) or 2.6 km³ (0.623773172371145 cu mi) in volume.
The Milne Ice Shelf
is the second large segment of the former Ellesmere Ice Shelf.
Ice shelf
An ice shelf is a thick, floating platform of ice that forms where a glacier or ice sheet flows down to a coastline and onto the ocean surface. Ice shelves are only found in Antarctica, Greenland and Canada. The boundary between the floating ice shelf and the grounded ice that feeds it is called...
in the Arctic, encompassing about 3500 square miles (9,065 km²) of the north coast of Ellesmere Island
Ellesmere Island
Ellesmere Island is part of the Qikiqtaaluk Region of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. Lying within the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, it is considered part of the Queen Elizabeth Islands, with Cape Columbia being the most northerly point of land in Canada...
, Nunavut
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The ice shelf was first documented by the British Arctic Expedition
British Arctic Expedition
The British Arctic Expedition of 1875-1876, led by Sir George Strong Nares, was sent by the British Admiralty to attempt to reach the North Pole via Smith Sound. Two ships, HMS Alert and HMS Discovery , sailed from Portsmouth on 29 May 1875...
of 1875-76, in which Lieutenant Pelham Aldrich
Pelham Aldrich
Pelham Aldrich CVO was a Royal Navy officer and explorer, who became Admiral Superintendent of Portsmouth Docks.-Biography:...
's party went from Cape Sheridan
Cape Sheridan
Cape Sheridan is on the northeastern coast of Ellesmere Island, Canada situated on the Lincoln Sea in the Arctic Ocean, on the mouth of Sheridan River, west bank...
(82.47°N, 61.50°W) west to Cape Alert (82.27°N, 85.55°W). The continuous mass of the Ellesmere Ice Shelf had been in place for at least 3,000 years.
During the twentieth century the Ellesmere Ice Shelf broke up into six separate shelves, the largest being the Ward Hunt Ice Shelf
Ward Hunt Ice Shelf
The Ward Hunt Ice Shelf is the largest ice shelf in the Arctic, located on the north coast of Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada. During the 20th century the Ellesmere Ice Shelf broke up into six separate shelves, the largest being Ward Hunt...
. During the 1980s reassuring official science reported that the remnants were stable.
In April 2000, satellite images revealed that a large crack in the Ward Hunt shelf had begun to form, and in 2003 it was announced that the ice sheet had split completely in two in 2002, releasing a huge pool of fresh water from the largest epishelf lake in the Northern Hemisphere, located in Disraeli Fjord. In April 2008, it was discovered that the shelf was fractured into dozens of deep, multi-faceted cracks.
On August 13, 2005, The Ayles Ice Shelf
Ayles Ice Shelf
The Ayles Ice Shelf was one of six major ice shelves in Canada, all located on the northern coast of Ellesmere Island, Nunavut. The ice shelf broke off from the coast on August 13, 2005, forming a giant ice island thick and measuring around by in size . The oldest ice in the ice shelf is...
, which was located at (83°1.5′N 77°33.5′W), approximately 800 km (497.1 mi) south of the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
, broke away from the coast forming the giant Ayles Ice Island 37 metres (121.4 ft) thick and measuring around 14 km (8.7 mi) by 5 km (3.1 mi) in size with an area of approximately 66 km² (25.5 sq mi) or 2.6 km³ (0.623773172371145 cu mi) in volume.
The Milne Ice Shelf
Milne Ice Shelf
The Milne Ice Shelf, a fragment of the former Ellesmere Ice Shelf, is located in Qikiqtaaluk Region, Nunavut, Canada. It is the second largest ice shelf in the Arctic Ocean...
is the second large segment of the former Ellesmere Ice Shelf.