17.12.2024 11:00
Scientists have reported that A23A, known as the largest iceberg in the world, has started to move again after spinning in the same spot for months and is now drifting in the Southern Ocean.
The massive iceberg named A23a, which is 3,800 square kilometers in size, is more than twice the size of London, and its thickness is measured to be 400 meters. The iceberg, which broke off from Antarctica in 1986, became lodged near the coast shortly after breaking away and remained there for many years.
Due to its thickness, the iceberg named A23a became stuck to the bottom of the Weddell Sea, which is part of the Southern Ocean, and remained motionless there for over 30 years. In 2020, the iceberg began to move northward and has been spinning in place since it got caught in a rotating water column near the South Orkney Islands this spring.
"MOVING AGAIN"
The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) ship reported that A23a has drifted away from its location. Dr. Andrew Meijers, an oceanographer on the BAS ship, said: "It's exciting to see A23a moving again after being stuck for so long. We are curious whether it will follow the path of other large icebergs that have broken off near Antarctica."
THOUGHT TO COMPLETELY MELT
According to a report by the BBC, researchers believe that A23a will eventually leave the Southern Ocean and enter the Atlantic Ocean, where it will encounter warmer waters and likely break into smaller icebergs before ultimately melting away.
Dr. Meijers and BAS continue to study the impact of icebergs on local ecosystems after they pass through. About a year ago, researchers on the RRS Sir David Attenborough collected data from the waters surrounding A23a.
Biogeochemist Laura Taylor, a member of the crew, stated at the end of the investigation: "We know that these giant icebergs can provide nutrients to the waters they pass through, creating ecosystems that would otherwise develop in less productive areas."