World's biggest iceberg heads north after escaping vortex

The world's largest iceberg, known as A23a, is on the move again after being trapped in a vortex for a significant amount of time. This massive iceberg is an astonishing 3,800 square kilometers in size, which is more than double the area of Greater London. It is also incredibly thick, measuring about 400 meters deep. A23a broke free from Antarctica in 1986, but it soon became stuck just off the coast. The depth of the iceberg caused its bottom to become lodged on the ocean floor of the Weddell Sea, a part of the Southern Ocean, where it remained stationary for over 30 years. In 2020, A23a began to drift northward, but it was stuck near the South Orkney Islands until recently. On Friday, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) announced that A23a is now drifting further north. Dr. Andrew Meijers, an oceanographer at BAS, expressed his excitement, stating, 'It's exciting to see A23a on the move again after periods of being stuck. ' He mentioned that they are interested in whether A23a will take the same route as other large icebergs that have calved off Antarctica. As A23a continues its journey north, it is expected to leave the Southern Ocean and enter the Atlantic Ocean. In this warmer water, it is likely that A23a will break apart into smaller icebergs and eventually melt away. Dr. Meijers and his team are also studying the impact of icebergs on local ecosystems as they pass through these waters. A graphic from the BBC illustrates the route taken by A23a after it began drifting north from the coastline of Antarctica a few years ago. It followed the edge of the Antarctic peninsula before becoming trapped in a vortex near the South Orkney Islands this spring. A year ago, Laura Taylor, a biogeochemist who was part of the research crew, shared her insights, saying, 'We know that these giant icebergs can provide nutrients to the waters they pass through, creating thriving ecosystems in otherwise less productive areas. ' However, she noted that they still do not fully understand how specific icebergs, their size, and their origins can influence this process. The journey of iceberg A23a is significant for scientists, and they are eager to learn more about its effects on the environment as it continues to drift northward.