World’s largest iceberg starts moving after 37 years of being grounded in Antarctica

The world’s biggest iceberg — which is roughly three times the size of New York City — is “on the move” after being stuck to the ocean floor for 37 years, scientists confirmed on Friday.

The iceberg, called A23a,spans almost 4,000 square kilometers (or 1,500 square miles) in area, 400m (1,312 ft) thick.

It was split from the Antarctic coastline in 1986, but then became grounded in the Weddell Sea.The past year has seen it drifting at speed, and the berg is now about to spill beyond Antarctic waters.

Why iceberg A23a after almost 37 years is on the move

Dr Andrew Fleming from British Antarctic Survey said that A23a(iceberg) was grounded since 1986 but eventually it was going to decrease (in size) sufficiently to lose grip and start moving. I spotted first movement back in 2020.

Where iceberg A23a is going to melt

When the big bergs melt, they release the mineral dust that was incorporated into their ice when they were part of glaciers scraping along the rock bed of Antarctica.

This dust is a source of nutrients for the organisms that form the base of ocean food chains.In many ways these icebergs are life-giving; they are the origin point for a lot of biological activity.