The A68 iceberg is seen breaking away from the Larsen C Ice Shelf on July 30, 2017.

(A. Fleming/British Antarctic Survey)

At a Glance

Scientists have seen new cracks in the Larsen C Ice Shelf since a large iceberg broke off in mid-July.The cracks are growing in the direction of a key ice rise that stabilizes the entire ice shelf.The iceberg's separation may be a natural process and not caused by climate change, experts also said.

After a colossal iceberg broke off Antarctica's Larsen C Ice Shelf on July 12, scientists have watchedother cracks form, and now they're worried those cracks may threaten the stability of the remaining ice.

The iceberg, known as A68, and more than 650 feet thick. Since breaking free from Larsen C, A68 has traveled , according to a University of Leeds study, and its separation may have set off a chain reaction that couldcause the other 90 percent of the shelf to collapse.

"The satellite images reveal a lot of continuing action on Larsen C Ice Shelf," Dr. Anna Hogg, a researcher who tracks the ice shelf, said in the press release. "We can see that the remaining cracks continue to grow towards a feature called Bawden Ice Rise, which provides important structural support for the remaining ice shelf."

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Hogg continues by explaining that the ice speed can be accelerated if an ice shelf and an ice rise become separated, which could destabilize Larsen C even more. This ice shelf isn't necessarily a victim of global warming, Hogg added – growth and decay are sometimes natural during the life of an ice shelf, and that may be the case here.

Getting photos of A68 isn't easy this time of year; prolonged periods of darkness and cloud cover during the Southern Hemisphere's winter months have kept images of the floating ice chunk , according to USA Today. Therefore, the team of scientists hastracked the iceberg, as well as the ice shelf, by acquiringimages from satellites such as Spain's Deimos-1, the report added.

More investigation is needed to determineif there will be devastating impactsfrom these new cracks, but Dr. Hilmar Gudmundson, a scientist from the British Antarctic Survey who's working with Hogg to track changes in the ice shelf, said Larsen C's collapse wouldn't immediately contribute to major sea level rise, but there could be additional consequences.

"Although floating ice shelves have only a modest impact on of sea-level rise, ice from Antarctica’s interior can discharge into the ocean when they collapse," said Gudmundson in the press release. "Consequently, we will see (an) increase in the ice-sheet contribution to global sea-level rise."

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Photographer Ira Meyer has traveled to the antarctic over 30 times, capturing the beauty of both the landscape and the wildlife there. (Ira Meyer)