A23a, one of the world’s largest icebergs, has broken free and is drifting out of Antarctic waters. This was reported by agenciesAbout the Associated Press (AP) based on data from the British Antarctic Survey.
Iceberg A23a broke away from Antarctica’s Filchner Ice Shelf in 1986 but immediately attached itself to the ocean floor and remained in the Weddell Sea for the past 37 years. The area of the ice island is approximately 4 thousand square kilometers, that is, three times the size of New York.
According to scientists, A23a is slowly accelerating under the influence of tailwinds and currents. The ice mass is heading directly towards the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula.
British Antarctic Survey experts noted that they first noticed slight movements in the iceberg’s position in 2020. The researchers concluded that A23a may have been released due to changes in water temperature on the shelf. The iceberg gradually melted until it eventually lost its grip on the underwater land and began to float again.
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