UK scientists are seeking to understand the triggers that result in the production of giant Antarctic icebergs.

Nearly half the ice lost from the white continent comes from the shedding of these often city-sized frozen blocks.

This makes them a major consideration in forecasts of future sea level rise.

British researchers hope to glean new insights into the physics of ice fracturing by studying a sector of the Antarctic that recently saw the breakaway of two mega-bergs.

The expectation is that the work will lead to models that better predict where and when events known as calvings might occur. Scientists use the term “calving” to describe an iceberg breakaway - like a cow giving birth to her young.