Picture of the day w/ bonus animation

via Wired Science and the European Space Agency’s Envisat satellite comes this look at the icy demolition derby that happened in February between the 60 mile long B-9B iceberg (named after famed Icelandic explorer Horst B-9B Jr.) as it crashed into a protruding area of the Mertz glacier.

The result? A glacier that doesn't protrude quite so much any more and a new 50-mile-by-25-mile iceberg creatively named C-28. Because it floats in the "C" and is the 28th glacier to break off from the quadrant of Antarctica nearest to the criminal prison island of Australia.

In other news, science does have an explanation for this kind of repeated large scale event, but a energy lobby claims this glacier just did it for the money and an invite to Al Gore's Oscar party. So I guess there's no definitive answer as long as this debate rages.