Overview

• Copernicus satellite images show the iceberg has shrunk to about 1,770 square kilometers with a maximum width near 60 kilometers.
• British Antarctic Survey scientists report accelerated fragmentation as it moves north, with basal melt driven by higher ocean temperatures.
• In recent weeks it has shed very large fragments, some around 400 square kilometers, along with many smaller pieces that pose navigation risks.
• BAS oceanographer Andrew Meijers says the structure is deteriorating quickly and is likely to become unrecognizable within weeks.
• A23a calved in 1986, sat grounded in the Weddell Sea for over three decades, briefly grounded near South Georgia without harming wildlife, and its decay may release nutrients that enhance local productivity.