NASA MODIS Image of the Day: September 22, 2012 – Iceberg from Petermann Glacier, northern Greenland
Almost two months after calving from the Petermann Glacier, the ice island known as PII-2012 continued to drift southwards in Nares Strait. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Terra satellite captured this true-color image on September 12, 2012. The ice island has drifted southwestward, and now approaches the eastern coast of Ellesmere Island. Two fragments which broke away from P-II2012 early in September appear to have flowed southward at a faster rate than the main island. The larger fragment, originating from the leading edge of P-II2012, is now well-separated and well south of the ice island, while the smaller fragment lingers on the western side. Petermann Ice Island calved between July 16-17 along a rift on the Petermann Glacier that had been visible in satellite imagery for several years.
