The world’s largest iceberg is on the move for the first time in more than three decades, scientists said on Friday.
At almost 4,000 square km, the Antarctic iceberg called A23a is roughly three times the size of New York City and weighs nearly a trillion metric tonnes.
Since calving off West Antarctica’s Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf in 1986, the iceberg — which once hosted a Soviet research station — has largely been stranded after its base became stuck on the floor of the Weddell Sea.
Recent satellite images show the iceberg is now moving past the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula and headed toward the Southern Ocean, according to the British Antarctic Survey.
