Iceberg B‑15 calved from Antarctica’s Ross Ice Shelf in March 2000 and initially measured roughly 11,000 km², an area comparable to the island of Jamaica.
What happened
Iceberg B‑15 broke away from the Ross Ice Shelf in late March 2000; its original dimensions were about 295 by 37 km, giving it an area near 11,000 square kilometres, making it the largest recorded iceberg by area.
Size and scale
At formation B‑15 stretched roughly 170 miles long and 25 miles wide, with a surface area sometimes reported as about 4,250 square miles (≈11,000 km²), a size often compared directly with Jamaica to convey its immense scale.
Life after calving
The original berg did not remain intact: over subsequent years B‑15 fractured into numerous large pieces (named B‑15A, B‑15B, etc.); the largest fragments drifted, melted and continued breaking up, with major pieces persisting and moving around Antarctic seas for many years.
Why it matters
Large calving events like B‑15 illustrate the dynamic nature of polar ice shelves and draw attention to how warming oceans and changing ice dynamics can influence iceberg production and the stability of ice shelves, with implications for sea level and polar ecosystems.
Takeaway
Iceberg B‑15 was a once‑in‑a‑generation spectacle: a Jamaica‑sized block of ice that highlighted both the power of natural ice dynamics and the broader concerns about Antarctic ice behaviour in a warming world.