A23a, the world’s largest iceberg, has recently begun its journey after remaining anchored to the ocean floor for more than three decades. The gigantic iceberg, which covers some 4,000 square kilometers, is twice the size of London. It formed an ice island in the Weddell Sea after breaking away from the Antarctic coast in 1986.
Its thickness is greater than the tallest skyscraper in Europe, the London Shard, which is 310 meters high. Meanwhile, A23a was one of numerous icebergs that broke off from Antarctica’s Filchner Ice Shelf.
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- Where has the iceberg reached now?
- When was the iceberg first dispatched?
- What makes it the largest iceberg?
- Why was the iceberg buried?
- How do scientists monitor your trip?
- Can the iceberg be a problem for people?
Where has the iceberg reached now?
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It is located near the northern Antarctic Peninsula, which extends from West Antarctica to South America.
Satellite images from the British Antarctic Survey show the iceberg making its way through the Weddell Sea in the Southern Ocean throughout 2022 and 2023, pushed by currents and winds spanning thousands of kilometres.
By the end of November, the ice mass extended slightly beyond the Antarctic Peninsula. Most icebergs in the Weddell Sea are carried by currents toward “iceberg alley” in the South Atlantic, where they eventually melt.
According to the BBC, the iceberg is now moving rapidly and has the potential to travel beyond the oceans surrounding Antarctica.
When was the iceberg first dispatched?
Reuters
Surprisingly, when this particular iceberg first broke off, it was topped by a Soviet research station. Moscow sent a team to recover the equipment from the Druzhnaya 1 facility, fearing it would be lost forever. The large iceberg, however, did not move far from the coast.
“I asked a couple of colleagues about this, wondering if there was any possible change in shelf water temperatures that could have triggered it,” revealed Dr Andrew Fleming, a remote sensing expert at the British Antarctic Survey.
What makes it the largest iceberg?
Iceberg A23a “calved off,” or fell, from the continent’s largest glacier, from the western side of the Ronne Ice Shelf and floated in the Weddell Sea before becoming entangled on the ocean floor in 1986.
The chunk of ice is about three times the size of New York City, measuring 1,500 square miles and weighing nearly a trillion metric tons. Due to its size, it is the largest iceberg in the world, and only briefly lost the title to iceberg A76 before separating into three sections.
The iceberg’s course will take it from the shallow waters of Antarctica to the wide Southern Ocean, passing through a region known as “iceberg alley,” where other chunks of ice remain.
Why was the iceberg buried?
It was grounded in 1986, but was to shrink enough to lose control and start moving. “I discovered the first movement in 2020.”
The giant iceberg is expected to travel toward the Antarctic Circumpolar Current before being forced into Iceberg Alley, a South Atlantic route. This route takes the iceberg out of the shallower waters of Antarctica and into the larger Southern Ocean, where other chunks of ice often travel.
Remarkably, this journey parallels the historic route taken by explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton in 1916. According to the BBC, Ernest took this route during his brave escape from the region when his ship was destroyed by ice.
How do scientists monitor your trip?
Scientists are keeping close tabs on A23a’s journey, as they are aware of the possible ramifications if it ends up in South Georgia. The huge iceberg could cause major problems for the island’s diverse fauna, including seals, penguins and seagulls that live there and have babies.
A23a’s size may disrupt the usual methods by which these animals find food, making it difficult for them to adequately feed their young.
Can the iceberg be a problem for people?
The iceberg is not dangerous to people, but can cause problems for wildlife, such as penguins and seals, if it becomes stranded on their feeding or breeding grounds in the Southern Ocean.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn