Overview
- A rare cloud‑free Copernicus Sentinel‑2 image reveals bright blue meltwater pools that ESA identifies as clear signs of rapid breakup.
- NASA’s Terra/MODIS similarly recorded extensive blue meltwater on A23a in December 2025, corroborating the new ESA view.
- Once about 4,000 square kilometers, A23a is down to roughly 1,000 square kilometers, with a U.S. National Ice Center estimate of 1,182 square kilometers in early January.
- Satellites placed the iceberg on December 20 about 150 kilometers northwest of South Georgia, surrounded by numerous smaller fragments.
- Scientists attribute the accelerating disintegration to roughly 3°C South Atlantic waters and meltwater‑driven fracturing, including observed blowouts, and experts expect only days to weeks of survival.