The world’s largest iceberg has begun to drift after 30 years on the ocean floor. This phenomenon is very rare, scientists say.
Using satellite images, scientists have noticed that the Antarctic iceberg called A23a has started to drift for the first time in more than 30 years. Its area is 4,000 square kilometers and it is the largest in the world, reports Reuters.
It is known that in 1986, A23 broke away from the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf in West Antarctica and then got stuck under the Weddell Sea.
According to British Antarctic Survey ice scientist Oliver Marsh, it’s rare to see an iceberg moving, so scientists will closely monitor its trajectory.
The world’s largest iceberg is moving for the first time in more than three decades, scientists said Friday. https://t.co/7kuOWTy3IJ https://t.co/7kuOWTy3IJ
— Reuters Science News (@ReutersScience) November 24, 2023
When the iceberg moves faster, the massive block is likely to end up in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. This will send it towards the Southern Ocean along a path known as “iceberg alley”.
Remember that scientists from Newcastle University in the UK said that by the end of the century, about half of the 215 thousand glaciers will disappear from the surface of the Earth. This process endangers the lives of millions of people, and not where previously expected.
Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.