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2w ago

Megaberg A23a Rapidly Disintegrates, Loses Crown as Largest Iceberg

Warmer seas plus wave flexing are driving a breakup likely to leave only pieces too small to track within weeks.

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

Overview

  • Satellite analyses show A23a has shrunk to roughly 1,700–1,770 square kilometers after shedding very large fragments, some about 400 square kilometers in size.
  • D15a, at around 3,000 square kilometers, has overtaken A23a as the world’s largest iceberg, with A23a now expected to keep shrinking quickly.
  • NASA imagery reveals new offshoots named A23D, A23E and A23F, and ish AntaAntarctic Survey scientists say fracturing will accelerate as it moves northeast.
  • After grounding near South Georgia in March, the iceberg broke free in May and resumed its drift, easing immediate wildlife access concerns but increasing shipping hazards from widely scattered pieces.
  • BAS researchers visited the berg aboard the RRS Sir David Attenborough and returned samples for analysis, as scientists note calving is natural yet amplified iceberg loss is linked to warming oceans and changing currents.