These aren't ants but shipping containers escaping on a massive breakaway iceberg

The entire iceberg, showing the fuel tank container (blue circle) sitting approximately 2 metres from the ice edge. (Supplied: ATCM) Seven shipping containers filled with fuel and waste have been spotted on an iceberg floating off the Antarctic coast. The containers had originally been positioned on an ice shelf before a week-long blizzard caused a large section to break off into the sea. Officials have expressed deep regret, saying diesel will have leaked out of the container into the surrounding environment. Link copiedShareShare articleFrom the air, they look like seven little ants on a torn piece of white paper. But a closer inspection of the satellite image reveals something very different. The "ants" are actually large shipping containers — including one filled with diesel and others packed with rubbish. And the "white paper" is a huge iceberg, 500 metres long and 300 metres wide. The containers floated out to sea on the iceberg. (Supplied: ATCM) Earlier this year, the iceberg and shipping containers were spotted floating off the coast of Antarctica. How they ended up there — and the environmental consequences of what followed — have been revealed in a report by Antarctic officials from Germany. There was about an 18-kilometre distance between the iceport, where the containers were, and the German Antarctic station. (Supplied: ATCM) It all started with the best of intentions. Germany's Neumayer Station III is located on an ice shelf, about 18 kilometres inland from the sea. In preparation for the arrival of a vessel that was due to pick up the station's waste, seven shipping containers were positioned a few hundred metres from the icy coastline. The containers included one with 9,500 litres of Arctic diesel, four with non-hazardous waste, another with a generator and fuel, and one that provided shelter for workers. At the time, there were no visible signs of crevasses, cracks or fissures in the ice. But over the next week, between January 13 and 20, a blizzard with winds of 130 kilometres an hour hit the region. When the conditions finally eased on January 21, an inspection was carried out. "The logistics team discovered that an iceberg measuring around 500 metres by 300 metres had broken off and drifted into the Weddell Sea," the report said. The shipping containers belonged to Germany's Neumayer Station III. (Supplied: AWI) Germany's Antarctic officials initially considered deploying a plane to search for the missing containers. But the following day, crew on the German icebreaker RV Polarstern spotted the iceberg and the seven containers. "The ship immediately ended its scientific investigations [and] travelled to the iceberg, which had drifted … around 140km to the south-east of Neumayer ice port." Glaciologists were then tasked with assessing whether it would be safe to conduct a retrieval operation. The iceberg was found to have an overall thickness of 81 metres, including 15 metres above the sea surface. Seven shipping containers, including a fuel container, broke away from the ice shelf during a storm. (Supplied: ATCM) Helicopters were then used to collect almost 1 tonne of equipment, including three drums filled with about 580 litres of Arctic diesel, as well as gas cylinders and batteries. But that was all that could be salvaged. "As the risk of the iceberg breaking apart increased, it was impossible to secure more of the cargo without risking human life," the report stated. The last satellite sighting of the iceberg was almost a month later, on February 22. "It can be assumed that the iceberg has disintegrated shortly afterwards and that the containers have sunk to the seabed," the report stated. It suggested the four containers with household items and rubbish would have "little direct impact on the ecosystem". However, the report said the container filled with fuel posed a much bigger risk. "It can be assumed that it was either damaged by the fall into the sea or imploded on its way to the sea floor. The Polar 6 research plane surveyed the iceberg on January 29. (Supplied: ATCM) The report noted Arctic diesel was lighter and more volatile than heavy fuel oil, meaning it might evaporate more quickly. But it said Antarctica's low temperatures would slow down any bacterial degradation in the water or sea ice. "It can therefore be assumed that the fuel will remain in the system for a longer period of time. Germany's Antarctic officials said lessons had been learned as a result of the incident. "In order to further reduce the risk of such a loss of cargo in the future, containers will be stored from now on ... at least 5,000 metres distance to the ice shelf edge." The report said further glaciological investigations, including ice thickness and consistency, would also be carried out along the route from the Neumayer Station III to the ice port.

These aren't ants but shipping containers escaping on a massive breakaway iceberg

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