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The world’s biggest iceberg is on the move after being stuck in one place for more than three decades.
The iceberg, named A23a, is approximately twice the size of Greater London, or around 1,572 square miles, and thicker than the Shard is tall.
Located in the Weddell Sea, between Antarctica and the South Atlantic, it broke free from the Filchner ice shelf in September 1986 as part of the natural calving cycle.
At the time it was hosting a Soviet research station, and a team was quickly sent to recover all its equipment. They need not have worried, as the iceberg didn’t get very far, quickly becoming grounded on the Weddell’s bottom-muds.
However, in recent years it has been shifting significantly, and now looks set to depart Antarctic waters – where it will begin melting more quickly.
Asked why the iceberg had now started to move, the British Antarctic Survey’s Dr Andrew Fleming told the BBC: ‘I asked a couple of colleagues about this, wondering if there was any possible change in shelf water temperatures that might have provoked it, but the consensus is the time had just come.
‘It was grounded since 1986 but eventually it was going to decrease [in size] sufficiently to lose grip and start moving. I spotted first movement back in 2020.’
A23a is likely to move into the powerful Antarctic Circumpolar Current, from where icebergs often travel north toward the equator on what is known as ‘iceberg alley’ and melt in the area’s warmer waters.
Scientists are slightly concerned the iceberg could ground at South Georgia, blocking foraging routes for the island’s many animals including penguins and seals.
However, they are also keen to stress that icebergs also play a vital role in the ocean’s ecosystems, delivering nutrients into the water as they melt.
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