After being stuck on the ocean floor for over 30 years, the world's largest iceberg, A-23a, is moving! This iceberg broke away from the Antarctic coastline in 1986 and was stuck in the Weddell Sea. However, it has finally broken free and is floating toward warmer waters.
The iceberg covers an area of 4,000 square kilometers, which is nearly the same as Dubai's emirate, spanning 4,114 square kilometers.
Dr. Andrew Fleming, an expert in remote sensing from the British Antarctic Survey, informed the BBC that "I asked a couple of colleagues about this, wondering if there was any possible change in shelf water temperatures that might have provoked it, but the consensus is the time has just come."
"It has been grounded since 1986, but eventually it was going to decrease (in size) sufficiently to lose grip and start moving. I spotted the first movement back in 2020."
According to the Guinness World Record, unlike many large icebergs that break away from Antarctica and drift away, A23A, born from the Filchner Ice Shelf in August 1986, has only moved a few hundred kilometers.?
This limited movement is because it's grounded or stuck on the sea floor, making it less prone to breaking apart.
The GWR added that the record for the largest current iceberg changes frequently as new icebergs calve off the Antarctic continent and later fragment.
The previous record holder, A76, which detached from the Ronne Ice Shelf in the Weddell Sea in May 2021, has since broken into three pieces. Consequently, the new record now goes back to A23A.
Experts predict that the massive iceberg will drift towards the southern South Atlantic Ocean, near the island of South Georgia, which hosts large icebergs offshore.?This island is home to millions of seals, penguins, and other birds.
There is concern that A23a could impact the ecology of South Georgia Island if it gets close.?The regular feeding routes of seals, penguins, and seabirds might be disturbed if it grounds in this area.
Despite potential disturbances, the significance of icebergs to the environment cannot be overlooked. As they melt, they release mineral dust and essential nutrients crucial for maintaining the base of seafood cycles.
Scientists are now closely monitoring A23a's progress.
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