One of the world’s largest icebergs is on the move in the Antarctic after 30 stationary years, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) said. Scientists do not believe the movement of the giant iceberg is related to warming oceans, rather a natural, slow decrease in its size due to being submerged in water. The ice mass, also known as A23a, is nearly 4,000 square kms, which is three times larger than the size of New York City. It weighs an approximate one trillion metric tonnes. It was once attached to the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf, but in 1986 it broke loose, but then got stuck on the floor of the Weddell Sea, where it stayed for three decades. A23a first started a slow, subtle drift in 2020, but has since picked up speed thanks to wind and sea currents and is moving towards sub-Antarctic South Georgia Island, approximately 1,400 km east of the Falkland Islands, off the coast of Argentina and roughly 5,350 km southwest of South Africa. .Remote sensing expert from BAS Andrew Fleming told BBC the berg is picking up speed and travelling north past the furthest tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, helped by wind and ocean currents.“It was grounded since 1986, but eventually it was going to decrease" in size, Fleming said. Eventually it was destined "to lose grip and start moving."The expert asked a number of his colleagues if any of them thought the drifting iceberg was due to "any possible change in shelf water temperatures that might have provoked it.""But the consensus is, the time had just come,” Fleming said. .Glaciologist at BAS Oliver Marsh told Reuters A23a would have spent the last 30 years loosing mass very slowly, until it became dislodged from the ocean floor. The "little bit of extra buoyancy" it gained from the weight loss is what's causing its rapid speed, Marsh said, noting the iceberg is moving faster than scientists expected. Some scientists posit the berg could pose a threat to wildlife by blocking access to food sources if it reaches South Georgia Island, a spot that is rich in wildlife such as seals, penguins and a wide range of sea birds. If it reaches as far as South Africa, A23a could interfere with shipping lanes.
One of the world’s largest icebergs is on the move in the Antarctic after 30 stationary years, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) said. Scientists do not believe the movement of the giant iceberg is related to warming oceans, rather a natural, slow decrease in its size due to being submerged in water. The ice mass, also known as A23a, is nearly 4,000 square kms, which is three times larger than the size of New York City. It weighs an approximate one trillion metric tonnes. It was once attached to the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf, but in 1986 it broke loose, but then got stuck on the floor of the Weddell Sea, where it stayed for three decades. A23a first started a slow, subtle drift in 2020, but has since picked up speed thanks to wind and sea currents and is moving towards sub-Antarctic South Georgia Island, approximately 1,400 km east of the Falkland Islands, off the coast of Argentina and roughly 5,350 km southwest of South Africa. .Remote sensing expert from BAS Andrew Fleming told BBC the berg is picking up speed and travelling north past the furthest tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, helped by wind and ocean currents.“It was grounded since 1986, but eventually it was going to decrease" in size, Fleming said. Eventually it was destined "to lose grip and start moving."The expert asked a number of his colleagues if any of them thought the drifting iceberg was due to "any possible change in shelf water temperatures that might have provoked it.""But the consensus is, the time had just come,” Fleming said. .Glaciologist at BAS Oliver Marsh told Reuters A23a would have spent the last 30 years loosing mass very slowly, until it became dislodged from the ocean floor. The "little bit of extra buoyancy" it gained from the weight loss is what's causing its rapid speed, Marsh said, noting the iceberg is moving faster than scientists expected. Some scientists posit the berg could pose a threat to wildlife by blocking access to food sources if it reaches South Georgia Island, a spot that is rich in wildlife such as seals, penguins and a wide range of sea birds. If it reaches as far as South Africa, A23a could interfere with shipping lanes.
