Massive Antarctic Iceberg A23a Rapidly Disintegrating in Warmer Waters

Massive Antarctic Iceberg A23a Rapidly Disintegrating in Warmer Waters
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A colossal Antarctic iceberg known as A23a, one of the oldest and largest ever recorded, is rapidly breaking apart and could vanish within weeks, The Guardian reported. Originally calved from the Antarctic shelf in 1986, A23a weighed nearly a trillion tonnes and was more than twice the size of Greater London. After remaining grounded in the Weddell Sea for over 30 years, it finally broke free in 2020 and drifted northward into warmer waters of the South Atlantic.

Satellite data analyzed by the EU’s Copernicus Earth observation program shows A23a has shrunk to less than half its initial size, currently spanning around 1,770 square kilometers. Recently, large chunks measuring approximately 400 square kilometers have detached, with many smaller ice fragments posing navigational risks.

Scientists from the British Antarctic Survey describe the iceberg as “rotting underneath,” succumbing to melting due to rising ocean temperatures. The iceberg’s journey took it near South Georgia island earlier this year, briefly threatening local wildlife before it moved on. While iceberg calving is a natural phenomenon, experts caution that the accelerated breakup rate is linked to climate change, contributing to faster ice loss from Antarctica.