At nearly 4,000 square kilometers, the Antarctic iceberg, named A23-a, is three times the size of New York City. As it accelerates, the giant iceberg could drift quickly into the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.
This means the iceberg will head towards the Southern Ocean, where many other large icebergs are floating freely in this sea.
Icebergs in Chiriguano Bay in Antarctica. Illustration photo: AFP/TTXVN
Since breaking away from the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf in West Antarctica in 1986, the iceberg has been largely trapped at the bottom of the Weddell Sea. However, over time, A23-a has managed to break free.
Recent satellite images show that an iceberg weighing about 1,000 billion tons is drifting rapidly across the northern part of the Antarctic Peninsula, pushed by strong winds and currents.
According to British researcher Oliver Marsh working at the Antarctic Survey, it is very rare for an iceberg of this size to move, so scientists will closely monitor A23-a's orbit.
“Over time, the weight of the iceberg may have decreased slightly, allowing it to rise above the ocean floor and be carried by ocean currents. A23a is also one of the oldest icebergs in the world ,” the expert said.
Mr Marsh predicts that A23a could move towards South Georgia (an island in the South Atlantic) and this would cause problems for Antarctic wildlife. Millions of seals, penguins and seabirds that breed on the island and forage in the surrounding waters would be affected.
In 2020, another massive iceberg, dubbed A68, sparked fears that it would collide with South Georgia, crushing marine life and cutting off food sources. Fortunately, that disaster ultimately averted when the iceberg broke into several smaller pieces. Scientists are hoping the same will happen to A23a.
“An iceberg this large is likely to remain in the South Atlantic for quite some time, although the weather is much warmer and it could move further north towards South Africa,” Mr Marsh said. “We don’t yet know how big an impact this will have.”
(Source: Tin Tuc Newspaper)
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