The world’s largest iceberg, known as A-23a, has finally started moving after being stuck to the ocean floor for over 30 years. This massive iceberg broke off from the Antarctic coastline in 1986 and had remained grounded in the Weddell Sea until now. It has now broken free and is drifting towards warmer waters.
With an area of 4,000 square kilometers, the size of this iceberg is comparable to that of Dubai, which spans across 4,114 square kilometers. Dr. Andrew Fleming, a remote sensing expert from the British Antarctic Survey, commented on this unusual event, stating, “I asked a couple of colleagues about this, wondering if there was any possible change in shelf water temperatures that might have provoked it, but the consensus is the time has just come.”
Fleming further explained, “It was grounded since 1986, but eventually it was going to decrease in size sufficiently to lose grip and start moving. I spotted the first movement back in 2020.” Unlike many large icebergs that detach from Antarctica and float away, A-23a has only moved a few hundred kilometers since it broke off from the Filchner Ice Shelf in August 1986. This is because it is grounded on the sea floor, making it less vulnerable to fragmenting.
According to the Guinness World Records, the record for the largest current iceberg changes hands frequently as new icebergs calve off the Antarctic continent and break into smaller fragments. The previous record holder, A76, detached from the Ronne Ice Shelf in the Weddell Sea in May 2021 but has since fragmented into three pieces. As a result, the new record for the largest iceberg goes back to A-23a.
It is fascinating to witness such a significant movement after three decades of being stationary. As the world’s largest iceberg continues to drift towards warmer waters, scientists will be closely monitoring its trajectory and the potential impact it may have on marine ecosystems.
