The world's largest iceberg, A23a, is rapidly disintegrating near Antarctica's South Georgia Island, as confirmed by new satellite images from May 3. The photos show the colossal ice mass breaking up into thousands of fragments, although it will take months or even years for the iceberg to completely disappear, writes MIR 24.
Covering an area of 3100 square kilometers, A23a broke away from the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf back in 1986. For more than three decades, this ice giant remained motionless, as its lower part was anchored to the seabed.
It was only in January 2023 that the iceberg began its journey away from Antarctica. In early 2024, it was caught in a powerful ocean vortex, where it rotated in one place for several months. In December, he managed to free himself and continue north through the Drake Passage, an area known as the "iceberg graveyard" due to the intense destruction of ice blocks by heat and ocean waves.
When A23a headed toward South Georgia Island, scientists expressed concern about the potential negative impact on local ecosystems. However, by March, the “megaberg” had stopped, running aground about 100 kilometers off the southwest coast of the island.
Researchers believe this could be the iceberg’s last stop. Satellite data shows active erosion of its edges, especially on the northern side. Thousands of ice fragments are drifting around, many of which are up to a kilometer in diameter and pose a serious threat to shipping.
Since March, the giant iceberg has shrunk by 520 square kilometers. According to Live Science, A23a is at risk of soon losing its title as the world’s largest iceberg, as it currently exceeds the next largest iceberg, D15A, by only 31 square kilometers.
