WORLD’S LARGEST ICEBERG EMERGES FROM VORTEX, MOVING NORTHWARD

Sun 15 December 2024:

The world’s largest iceberg, A23a, caught in a whirlpool in Antarctica, has broken free and is flowing northward.

The British Antarctic Survey announced that the iceberg has drifted northward. Dr. Andrew Meijers, a marine scientist and researcher with the organization, noted that it is exciting that A23a is on the move again.

The surface area of A23a was measured to be about 4,000 square kilometers (1,544 square miles) and 400 meters (1,212 feet) in thickness.

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A23a, which broke away from the Antarctic coastline in 1986 and ran aground in the Weddell Sea before turning into an “ice island.” It moved for the first time in more than 30 years last year and before it was caught in a huge whirlpool in the spring.

Antarctica’s icebergs are melting at an alarming rate due to rising global temperatures, driven by climate change. Warmer ocean currents and atmospheric conditions are accelerating the breakup and melting of massive ice shelves, particularly in West Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula. Notable icebergs, like the colossal A68 that broke off in 2017, have significantly melted as they drifted into warmer waters.

The melting of these icebergs contributes indirectly to sea-level rise by accelerating the flow of land-based ice into the ocean. Additionally, the loss of reflective ice surfaces, known as albedo, means less solar energy is reflected back into space, further warming the planet.

This melting threatens ecosystems, as changes in ocean salinity and temperature disrupt marine life. It also raises global sea levels, increasing the risk of flooding for coastal cities worldwide. Scientists emphasize urgent global action to curb greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate the impacts of Antarctic ice loss.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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