By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-23 12:21:36 | Updated at 2025-01-23 16:56:47
5 hours ago
The world's biggest iceberg is on a devastating collision course with a remote British island, scientists have warned.
A23a is a 'megaberg' that measured around 1,540 square miles at its peak - twice the size of Greater London.
The megaberg recently broke free from its position north of the South Orkney Islands, and began drifting in the Southern Ocean.
Over the last few weeks, large slabs have started breaking off the megaberg, leaving a main section measuring around 1,351 square miles - roughly the size of Cornwall.
Now, it's just 173 miles away from South Georgia - a British territory and wildlife haven that's home to thousands of penguins and seals.
Simon Wallace, captain of the South Georgia government vessel, Pharos, warned that the iceberg is dangerously close to grounding and smashing into pieces.
Worryingly, these pieces could linger for years - wreaking havoc for sailors and fishermen trying to navigate the waters.
Speaking to BBC News, Mr Wallace said: 'Icebergs are inherently dangerous. I would be extraordinarily happy if it just completely missed us.'
The world's biggest iceberg is on a devastating collision course with a remote British island, scientists have warned
It's now just 173 miles away from South Georgia - a British territory and wildlife haven that's home to thousands of penguins and seals
The megaberg recently broke free from its position north of the South Orkney Islands, and began drifting in the Southern Ocean
The iceberg originally calved from Antarctica's Filchner Ice Shelf back in 1986.
It then remained grounded on the seabed in the Weddell Sea, before beginning its slow journey north in 2020.
In February last year, the iceberg became trapped in a Taylor Column - a phenomenon where rotating water above a seamount traps objects in place.
This kept A23a spinning on the spot, delaying its expected rapid drift north.
However, in December, images captured by satellites overhead confirmed that the iceberg had broken free.
At the time, scientists called the news 'exciting'.
'It's exciting to see A23a on the move again after periods of being stuck,' said Dr Andrew Meijers, an oceanographer with the British Antarctic Survey (BAS).
'We are interested to see if it will take the same route the other large icebergs that have calved off Antarctica have taken.'
The iceberg originally calved from Antarctica's Filchner Ice Shelf back in 1986. It then remained grounded on the seabed in the Weddell Sea, before beginning its slow journey north in 2020
A23a is a 'megaberg' that measured around 1,540 square miles at its peak - twice the size of Greater London
While every iceberg’s journey is unique, most follow the same general path, according to NASA.
'More than 90 percent of bergs around Antarctica enter the clockwise-flowing current of the Weddell Gyre off East Antarctica and eventually escape, shooting north along the Antarctic Peninsula and finally out across the Drake Passage into warmer South Atlantic waters—an ocean route known as "iceberg alley,"' the space agency explained.
However, fresh concerns have been raised about its proximity to South Georgia.
This small island is located in the southern Atlantic Ocean, and is described as a 'wildlife sanctuary'.
'It is a real "oasis" in the stormy southern oceans and is home to amazing wildlife like penguins, albatrosses, seals, whales and petrels,' the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands explains on its website.
This isn't the first time that fears have been raised about an iceberg collision in South Georgia.
In 2017, an iceberg called A68a broke off from the Antarctic ice shelf, before spending three years travelling more than 10,000 miles towards South Georgia.
Thankfully, A68a safely passed by the island in the end, before breaking up.
In February last year, the iceberg became trapped in a Taylor Column - a phenomenon where rotating water above a seamount traps objects in place
However, three years later, an iceberg called A76 came close to grounding, leaving dangerous slabs of ice surrounding South Georgia.
'Those pieces basically cover the island - we have to work our way through it,' Captain Wallace said.
Scientists, sailors and fishermen are now closely checking satellite pictures to monitor A23a's movements.
Speaking to MailOnline, Dr Meijers said: 'The iceberg, at least in satellite images, appears to be maintaining its structure and has not yet broken up into smaller chunks, as previous "megabergs" have done.
'It is presently in a meander of the current and not moving directly towards the island, but our understanding of the currents suggest that it is likely to again move towards the island soon.
'The current follows the shallow continental shelf around the island to the south east, but the question is whether the berg will follow this out into the open South Atlantic, or run up onto the shelf and become stuck for some time.
'If this happens it could seriously impede access to feeding grounds for the wildlife - seals and penguins mostly - that breed on the island.'
