TL/DR –
One of the world’s largest icebergs, A23a, is moving beyond Antarctic waters after being grounded for more than 30 years, as reported by the British Antarctic Survey. It is approximately three times the size of New York City, measuring around 4,000 square kilometers (1,500 square miles). According to Andrew Fleming, a remote sensing expert from the British Antarctic Survey, the iceberg has been drifting for the past year, picking up speed due to wind and ocean currents.
Triple the Size of New York City: Massive Iceberg Drifts Beyond Antarctica
According to the British Antarctic Survey, one of the world’s largest icebergs known as A23a, has begun drifting beyond Antarctic waters. This enormous iceberg, having been grounded for over three decades, is now starting to move.
After its split from the Antarctic’s Filchner Ice Shelf in 1986, A23a came to rest on the ocean floor in the Weddell Sea where it remained for years. This iceberg is about three times the size of New York City and more than double the size of Greater London, measuring approximately 4,000 square kilometers (1,500 square miles).
Over the past year, A23a has started drifting and picking up speed. Andrew Fleming, a remote sensing expert from the British Antarctic Survey, explained to the BBC that wind and ocean currents are now guiding the iceberg past the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula.
“The consensus is the time had just come,” Fleming said. “It was grounded since 1986, but eventually it was going to decrease (in size) sufficiently was to lose grip and start moving.”
A23a’s movement was first noted by Fleming in 2020. The British Antarctic Survey now confirms that the iceberg has ungrounded and is being carried by ocean currents towards sub-Antarctic South Georgia.
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