What frightened these scientists off? The alarming reason why scientists abandoned one of the world's most famous Antarctic bases -- and why you could be in danger too

What could be so dangerous?

Scientists are abandoning a base in Antarctica for fear that a massive crack in the ice sheet could destabilize their area. The Halley VI ice base on the Brunt Ice Shelf has been closed amid fears the shelf is nearing collapse.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) -- Scientists are evacuating their base on the Brunt Ice Shelf following the development of a crack in the ice that could destabilize the entire area. The team is in a race against time because the Southern Hemisphere winter is approaching with its exceptionally dangerous weather and days without sun. There are now about 88 scientists assigned to the base which belongs to England.

The original plan of evacuation was to break up the base, which rests on stilts and is portable, and to reestablish the facility on land to the south. Presently, the base rests on permanent ice over the water. However, the plan was canceled when a new crack developed to the north of the base, and across its primary supply route. Planners worried the ice sheet was already giving way, and that may be true.

Fears are growing that the ice may finally break off into the ocean and form a massive iceberg the size of a small American state.

The Halley VI may become the first base lost on an iceberg.

It is the base where the hole in the ozone later was first detected and today it hosts experiments to figure out how astronauts might survive on a cold planet such a Mars. The base also monitors space weather for the UK.

Although this crack is the most dangerous one, it is not the most famous. Another crack in the Antarctic ice has formed at a site called Larsen C. This crack runs for 70 miles, and is 300 feet wide and 1,600 feet thick. The crack will cause the formation of one of the largest icebergs ever recorded, at 23,000 square miles, or larger than the U.S. state of Delaware.

The breakup of the Larsen C ice shelf won't be much of a problem in itself, but for the fact the ice shelf holds back a massive quantity of ice and water. If all the ice and water on the Larsen C ice shelf were to run into the sea, it would raise sea level by nearly 4 inches.

Presently, sea level is rising around the world at about a tenth of an inch per year. Sea level has risen about 8 inches since 1880. A rise in sea level threatens coastal communities and cities all around the world and threatens to force millions of people inland. The disruption caused by such a crisis could upend established order, and threaten the entire globe in ways we can not imagine.

Scientist blame warming sea temperatures for the breakup of the ice around Antarctica.

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