The UK has been forced to relocate its Antarctic research station after a large crack formed in the ice shelf it sits on.
While the Brunt Ice Shelf is around 150m thick, it has dozens of ancient cracks and icebergs, which often shear off.
Because of its somewhat precarious location, the Halley VI Research Station was designed to be moveable.
The Brunt Ice Shelf is located in the Weddell Sea (British Antarctic Survey)
This is its first relocation since its installation in 2012.
"Over the last couple of years our operational teams have been meticulous in developing very detailed plans for the move and we are excited by the challenge," says Tim Stockings, British Antarctic Survey's director of operations.
"Antarctica can be a very hostile environment, and because the ice and the weather are unpredictable we have to be flexible in our approach."
(British Antarctic Survey)
Around 6km away from the station, a large crack has been growing. It had been dormant for at least 35 years, but movement was recently detected.
For its relocation each of the station's eight modules will be uncoupled and shifted around 23km further inland by large tractors.
The station is host to studies examining climate change, atmospheric phenomena and the impact of an extreme space weather event, and Mr Stockings says they're hoping to minimise disruption.
Halley VI was designed to be relocatable (British Antarctic Survey)
"We have planned the move in stages. The science infrastructure that captures environmental data will remain in place while the stations modules move," he says.
The relocation is planned to be finished in April 2018.
Newshub.
