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19h ago

Antarctic Megaberg A23a Is Rapidly Breaking Up, Likely to Vanish Within Weeks

After decades stuck on the Weddell Sea floor, the 1986 Filchner calver has reached warmer South Atlantic waters that are driving rapid disintegration.

Warm water and the coming southern spring mean the iceberg is likely to break down into smaller sections rapidly, experts say.
© MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC via Wikimedia Commons
An aerial view of iceberg A23a in the South Atlantic Ocean near South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands on November 24, 2024.

Overview

  • EU Copernicus analysis shows A23a has shrunk to about 1,770 square kilometers from roughly 3,100 square kilometers earlier this year.
  • Huge sections have detached, including a fragment around 400 square kilometers, and numerous smaller bergs now pose hazards to shipping.
  • The iceberg has been steered along the Southern Antarctic Circumpolar Current Front around South Georgia and has at times moved about 20 kilometers in a day.
  • With A23a fragmenting, D15a—about 3,000 square kilometers near the Antarctic coast—now holds the title of largest current iceberg.
  • Scientists note that calving is natural, though Antarctic ice loss has accelerated in recent decades due to warming oceans and shifting currents.