Iceberg A-38B breaking apart off South Georgia

  • Credit

    Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

Iceberg A-38B continues to break apart to the northeast of South Georgia Island in this true-color Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) image, acquired by the Aqua satellite on October 3, 2004. The two halves of the iceberg have moved considerably apart with smaller chunks of ice scattered between them in the waters of the Scotia Sea. South Georgia Island itself is covered in bright white snow.

South Georgia island is not permanently inhabited, as its climate is too harsh and agriculture is practically nonexistent. Instead, its population fluctuates with the seasons—during the warmer months, tourists come to the island to observe its wildlife and the life in the surrounding waters. During the winter, a permanent research station is manned, but there are no civilian settlements.

Metadata

  • Sensor

    Aqua/MODIS

  • Visualization Date

    2004-10-08