Arched iceberg, western Antarctic Peninsula, Southern Ocean  June 20, 2026

A sculpted arch of ice rises from the Southern Ocean along the Antarctic Peninsula, one of the fastest-warming regions on Earth. This formation began as compacted snow that turned into glacial ice over thousands of years. Eventually, part of a glacier or floating ice shelf fractured and broke free—a process known as calving—creating a drifting iceberg.

© Steven Kazlowski/Nature Picture Library

fShare Share pSave tPost