Iceberg A23A, one of the largest icebergs in the world

Iceberg A23A, one of the largest icebergs in the world, has recently become unstuck from the seafloor near Antarctica and is now drifting in the Southern Ocean.

This iceberg calved from the Filchner Ice Shelf in 1986 and remained grounded on the seafloor of the Weddell Sea for nearly four decades. Its liberation began in the early 2020s, likely due to melting from beneath the waterline.

A23A spans approximately 40 miles across and is about 1,312 feet thick. It began drifting freely in the Weddell Sea, slowly making its way northward. By November 2023, it had moved past the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, performing a full pirouette before catching a northerly current. It is currently located midway between the Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia Island, heading towards warmer waters where it is expected to eventually melt.

The iceberg’s journey is closely monitored by satellites, including NASA’s Terra satellite and NOAA-21, which provide high-resolution images and track its movements. The drift of A23A from the cold Weddell Sea to the relatively warmer Southern Atlantic highlights the dynamic nature of these massive ice formations and their potential impact on marine environments as they melt and break apart.
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