Climate security

Antarctica: Larsen C breakoff could have 'dire consequences'

If climate change continues unabated, ice-free areas on Antarctica will increase up to a quarter by 2100 - so says a recent study on changes in the planet's southernmost continent.

Larsen C is a major ice shelf  located on the Antarctic Peninsula, extending out over the ocean - a  large fracture across the ice sheet is poised release an iceberg the size of the state of the US state of Delaware (a quarter the size of Wales, or twice the size of Luxembourg).

Consequences could be dramatic - as Antarctica melts, scientists fear it will soon desintegrate.

Adding to this, Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and cuts for scientific research in the US might hinder future research around changes.