Antarctica: World's Largest Iceberg A23a Drifts In Atlantic; Likely To Hit British Island South Georgia

The world라이브 바카라 largest iceberg called A23a reportedly is on the move in the Atlantic Ocean. Its direction of movement has triggered assumptions that while heading north from the coast of Antarctica, the iceberg is likely to collide with the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia.

Citing Andrew Meijers, a physical oceanographer at the British Antarctic Survey, CNN reported that the iceberg was previously trapped spinning around an undersea mountain for several months. However, recent satellite images suggested that the massive iceberg, also known as a 'megaberg', is moving with the ocean current toward South Georgia.

"It is presently in a meander of the current and not moving directly towards the island. But our understanding of the currents suggests that it is likely to again move towards the island soon”, Meijers told CNN.

In an attempt to keep track of the humongous iceberg, the climate scientists at the British Antarctic Survey are meticulously following satellite images.

A23a: World's largest iceberg

The colossal iceberg spanning a sprawling stretch of 3,672 square kilometers surpasses several cities across the globe in size including Mumbai, Karachi, London, and many more, as per reports.

Scientists have been closely monitoring the 'megaberg' A23a ever since it calved from the Filchner-Ronne ice shelf in 1986. It has been told by the experts that the breaking off of this particular iceberg happened due to the natural growth cycle of the ice shelf and not because of the fossil fuel-driven climate crisis, CNN reported.

For over 30 years, the iceberg stayed anchored to the Antarctic Weddell Sea floor before it shrank and lost its grip on the seafloor which turned it into a massive floating fragment of ice. The iceberg has been floating for the past two years.

Why is it drifting?

After losing its grip on the seafloor, iceberg A23a was flown away by the Atlantic ocean currents before it got stuck in a Taylor column which is defined as a spinning vortex of water caused by ocean currents hitting an underwater mountain.

Back in December, the iceberg broke free once again and started drifting further. Initially, scientists reportedly expected the iceberg to move toward warmer water and therefore would break up and eventually melt when it reached the remote island of South Georgia.

However, the recent satellite images showed that the iceberg's structure has remained intact and is yet to break up into smaller chunks.

What are the possible threats?

The British-occupied South Georgia island is considered a breeding ground for penguins alongside millions of seals, penguins, and seabirds.

The grounding of the A23a near South Georgia could potentially harm the lives of the penguins and other animals.

“If this happens, it could seriously impede access to feeding grounds for the wildlife – seals and penguins mostly – that breed on the island,” said Meijers.

Furthermore,  according to Mark Belchier, director of fisheries and environment for the government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, the iceberg can also cause issues for shipping and fishing vessels in the region, as per CNN.