Antarctica
Ross Ice Shelf
Welcome to the Ross Ice Shelf — the biggest floating chunk of ice on Earth! It's roughly the size of France, and its icy cliffs rise straight up out of the ocean.
Why is it famous?
It's the largest ice shelf in Antarctica — a floating slab of ice about the size of France.
Its edge forms a giant ice cliff that stretches for hundreds of miles, rising 50 to 160 feet above the water.
How did it form?
Giant rivers of ice called glaciers slowly flow down from Antarctica's mountains and spread out over the sea, freezing together into one huge floating sheet.
Ninety percent of the ice shelf actually hides underwater — only a small part pokes up above the surface.
Amazing facts
In some places the ice is almost 750 meters (2,460 feet) thick — that's taller than most skyscrapers!
The whole ice shelf creeps forward toward the ocean by a few feet every single day.
Quick facts
- In some places the ice is almost 750 meters (2,460 feet) thick — that's taller than most skyscrapers!
- The whole ice shelf creeps forward toward the ocean by a few feet every single day.
- In the year 2000, an iceberg the size of a small country broke off — the biggest iceberg ever recorded!
- Famous explorers Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott both crossed this ice shelf on their race to reach the South Pole in 1911.