What is probably the largest iceberg in the world is heading north decades after it broke off from the Antarctic ice shelf. This is reported by the polar research institute British Antarctic Survey.
A23a broke away from the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf in Antarctica in 1986, but remained attached to the seafloor for another ten years. After becoming detached in 2000, it remained trapped in circulating ocean currents. But now he has escaped, as can be seen on satellite images.
The iceberg is about 4,000 square kilometers in size, about 4.5 times the size of Berlin. Meanwhile, waves and weather have carved huge arches and cave-like depressions into the colossus, as images from a ship owned by Eyos Expeditions show.
A23a is expected to move towards the island of South Georgia. There it will encounter warmer water, break into smaller icebergs and ultimately melt, the statement said. “We are curious to see whether it will follow the same path as other large icebergs that have broken off from the Antarctic ice shelf.” More importantly, what impact will this have on the local ecosystem?,” oceanographer Andrew Meijers was quoted as saying.
