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The iceberg which broke away from the continent nearly four decades ago, is reportedly in its final stages and may disappear completely in the coming weeks
The British Antarctic Survey says the iceberg, once among the largest in the world, is rapidly breaking into multiple pieces. (AI Generated)
The devastating impact of floods is being witnessed across the globe, including in India. Meanwhile, climate scientists are raising concerns over a massive iceberg in Antarctica. The colossal A23a, which broke away from the continent nearly four decades ago, is reportedly in its final stages and may disappear completely in the coming weeks.
Experts from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) say the iceberg, once among the largest in the world, is rapidly fragmenting into multiple pieces.
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A23a separated from Antarctica’s Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf in 1986, weighing approximately one trillion tonnes at the time. It initially covered around 3,672 square kilometres, almost the size of Goa, and was repeatedly cited as the world’s largest iceberg.
For more than 30 years, it remained grounded on the seabed of the Weddell Sea before currents carried it in 2020 into a region called ‘Iceberg Alley,’ a corridor where Antarctica’s largest icebergs eventually disintegrate.
Rapid Disintegration Underway
Andrew Meyers, a marine scientist at BAS, said A23a is now breaking apart rapidly, with large chunks separating and forming new icebergs. Its current size has reduced to just 1,700 square kilometres, roughly equivalent to the size of London.
Scientists report that the iceberg is drifting northeast, trapped in a strong sea current, a route previously taken by icebergs A68 and A76, which eventually broke apart and disappeared entirely.
Formation of Smaller Icebergs
As A23a fragments, the title of the world’s largest iceberg now passes to D15a, which measures about 3,000 square kilometres. Experts predict that in the coming weeks, A23a will break into even smaller pieces, making it harder to track.
While the formation and disintegration of icebergs is a natural process, scientists emphasise that warming ocean waters and shifting currents in recent decades have accelerated the melting of trillions of tonnes of Antarctic ice.
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