NASA MODIS Image of the Day: September 10, 2012 – Iceberg from Petermann Glacier, northern Greenland
The Petermann ice island 2012 (PII-2012), which calved from the Petermann Glacier in July, 2012 began to break apart in early September. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite captured this true-color image on September 6, 2012. The MODIS instrument has been following the progression of PII-2012, first catching it in the act of breaking off the Petermann Glacier and beginning a southward drift on July 16-17. Since that date, the ice island has continued to slowly slide southward, riding the slow current of the Nares Strait towards Baffin Bay. On September 6, the iceberg remains within Nares Strait. Previous images have shown the ice island intact. In this image, at least five distinct pieces can be observed from space – a central piece and four smaller fragments.
