World’s Largest Iceberg A23a Resumes Northward Drift After Decades

The 3,800-square-kilometer iceberg, trapped for years in Antarctica's Weddell Sea and recently spinning in place, is now moving toward warmer waters where it is expected to disintegrate.

• A23a, the world’s largest iceberg at 3,800 square kilometers and 400 meters thick, calved from Antarctica in 1986 and was grounded in the Weddell Sea for over 30 years.
• After starting to move in 2020, the iceberg became trapped in a rotating oceanic column near the South Orkney Islands earlier this year, spinning in place for months.
• The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) confirmed the iceberg has now resumed its northward journey across the Southern Ocean, following the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.
• Scientists predict A23a will eventually encounter warmer waters near South Georgia, where it is expected to break into smaller fragments and melt completely.
• Research teams are studying the iceberg's impact on marine ecosystems, as its nutrient-rich meltwater has been shown to support biodiversity in otherwise less productive areas.

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