Get ready to witness the incredible journey of A23a, the world’s largest iceberg, as it breaks free from its unexpected delay and cruises through icy ocean waters once again.
The World’s Largest Iceberg: A23a on the Move Again
A23a, the world’s largest and oldest iceberg, has finally broken free from its unexpected delay and is cruising through icy ocean waters once again. This summer, the massive ice formation got stuck near the South Orkney Islands, twirling in a Taylor column – a fluid mechanics phenomenon that can be described as an ocean vortex.
The Long Journey of A23a
A23a’s long and storied life began when it first calved from Antarctica‘s Filchner Ice Shelf in 1986. The iceberg spent 30 years grounded in the seafloor of the Weddell Sea before escaping in 2020 and starting its slow journey north. Weighing nearly a trillion tons, A23a is about the size of Rhode Island, according to the British Antarctic Survey.
The Importance of Giant Icebergs
Laura Taylor, a biogeochemist who observed A23a up close and personal last year aboard the British Antarctic Survey’s BIOPOLE cruise, highlighted the importance of giant icebergs. “We know that these giant icebergs can provide nutrients to the waters they pass through, creating thriving ecosystems in otherwise less productive areas,” she said. However, there is still much to be learned about the impact of specific icebergs on this process.
What’s Next for A23a?
The British Antarctic Survey predicts that if all goes according to plan, A23a will continue its journey into the Southern Ocean following the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. This current is likely to drive the iceberg towards the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia, where it will encounter warmer water and eventually break up into smaller icebergs and melt. As climate change leads to warmer temperatures and rapidly melting ice caps and glaciers, understanding the impact of A23a’s journey on carbon levels in the ocean water and its balance with the atmosphere is increasingly important.
