Giant iceberg breaks off Antarctica

A giant iceberg, the tongue of Antarctica's Mertz glacier, broke off a year ago, in February 2010. The tongue acted like a barrier for a dam where dense seawater was formed. The dense seawater sinks to the bottom and is a key driver of the currents in the ocean, for example it brings warm water to the Northern Atlantic Ocean, and the Golf Stream that is essential for people living here in Scandinavia. This event could effect the ocean circulation patterns (read more), and furthermore, the climate and weather patterns on earth.