Iceberg collision rewrites map of Antarctica

The world's largest iceberg has crashed into a glacier, snapping off a chunk of glacial outflow, changing the coastline of Antarctica. The predicted "collision of the century" between the B15-A iceberg and the 70km-long Drygalski ice tongue, an extension of the David glacier, had been expected months ago, but the icy colossus became stranded a few kilometres from the tongue, starving penguins and blocking ships supplying food and fuel to Antarctic research stations.

Now the iceberg, which holds enough water to supply the River Nile for 80 years, has broken free, snapping a 5km chunk off the ice tongue.

Scientists are watching anxiously to see if the 115km-long iceberg becomes trapped in Terra Nova bay or drifts out to sea.