The world’s largest and oldest iceberg, A23a, has finally broken free after being stuck on the seafloor for more than 30 years. This colossal iceberg, which weighs over one trillion tonnes and is double the size of Greater London, was calved from Antarctica’s Filchner Ice Shelf in 1986. It had been trapped in the Weddell Sea due to a unique oceanic phenomenon called the Taylor Column, which kept it stationary until 2020 when it began to drift north.
Now that A23a has broken free, it is expected to continue its journey through the Southern Ocean, following the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. Scientists predict that it will eventually move towards South Georgia Island. As it encounters warmer waters, the iceberg will likely break into smaller pieces and gradually melt.
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Dr. Andrew Meijers from the British Antarctic Survey, co-leader of the Ocean:Ice project, expressed excitement about this rare event, noting that it will provide important data on the movement of large icebergs and their impact on local ecosystems. Last year, researchers aboard the British Antarctic Survey’s RRS Sir David Attenborough captured the first images of A23a as part of their Biopole project, which is studying how icebergs affect the ocean’s carbon and nutrient cycles. The scientists are analyzing water samples to understand how A23a’s passage could influence marine life and the global carbon balance.
