Sea levels rose after previous ice shelf collapses
The Larsen A and B ice shelves, which were situated further north on the Antarctic Peninsula, collapsed in 1995 and 2002, respectively.
"This resulted in the dramatic acceleration of the glaciers behind them, with larger volumes of ice entering the ocean and contributing to sea level rise," said David Vaughan, glaciologist and director of science at British Antarctic Survey.
"If Larsen C now starts to retreat significantly and eventually collapses, then we will see another contribution to sea level rise," he added.
Big icebergs break off Antarctica naturally, meaning scientists are not linking the rift to man-made climate change. The ice, however, is a part of the Antarctic peninsula that has warmed fast in recent decades.
"In the ensuing months and years, the ice shelf could either gradually regrow, or may suffer further calving events which may eventually lead to collapse; opinions in the scientific community are divided," Luckman said.
"Our models say it will be less stable, but any future collapse remains years or decades away."