Scientists announced on November 24 that the world’s largest iceberg has moved for the first time in over three decades.
According to Reuters, this iceberg, named A23a, spans nearly 4,000 square kilometers and is located in Antarctica, making it nearly three times the size of New York City.
Image of iceberg A23a in Antarctica on November 23. (Photo: AFP).
Since breaking away from the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf in West Antarctica in 1986, this iceberg has largely been trapped in the Weddell Sea.
Recent satellite images show that this iceberg, weighing nearly 1 trillion tons, is now drifting rapidly northward off the Antarctic Peninsula due to the push of strong winds and currents.
British researcher Oliver Marsh, who is working at the British Antarctic Survey, stated that it is very rare to see an iceberg of this size move, so scientists will closely monitor its path.
Satellite image of the world’s largest iceberg A23a seen in Antarctica on November 15. (Photo: European Union).
“Over time, its weight may decrease slightly, allowing it to rise from the ocean floor and be pushed along by ocean currents. A23a is also one of the oldest icebergs in the world,” Marsh said.
The researcher speculates that A23a may drift towards South Georgia Island, located in the southern Atlantic Ocean. This would pose problems for wildlife in Antarctica, as millions of seals and breeding penguins on the island rely on the surrounding waters for food.
In 2020, another massive iceberg, A68, raised concerns that it would collide with South Georgia Island, crushing marine life and disrupting food sources. Fortunately, that disaster did not occur as the iceberg broke into smaller pieces. Scientists hope the same will happen with A23a.
“However, a massive iceberg like this has the potential to survive quite a long time in the South Atlantic, even with much warmer weather, and it could drift further north towards South Africa. We cannot yet determine the extent of its impact,” Marsh noted.
