World's Largest Iceberg Breaks Off Antarctica

WEDDELL SEA, ANTARCTICA — The world's largest iceberg has broken off an ice shelf in Antarctica, according to the European Space Agency.

The iceberg calved from western side of the Ronne Ice Shelf into Weddell Sea.

At around 170 kilometers long and 25 kilometers wide, or 105 miles long and 15 miles wide, it is slightly larger than the Spanish island of Majorca, according to the ESA, and almost four times larger than New York City, according to The Guardian.

CNN reports that when this ice melts, it will not lead to a rise in sea levels, because it was previously a part of a floating 'ice shelf,' rather than resting on land.

This is in contrast to glaciers or ice sheets, which do cause sea level rises when they melt, as they join the ocean having previously been resting on land.

The formation of this particular iceberg is not believed to have been caused by climate change, according to Alex Brisbourne, a glaciologist at the British Antarctic Survey, cited by New Scientist.