Research ship passes the largest iceberg in the world
A satellite image shows the iceberg known as A23a in Antarctica
Source: German News Agency
Broken iceberg A23a floats in the Antarctic Sea. It is three times the size of New York City, making it the largest iceberg in the world. British researchers happened to pass by and take samples.
WIt so happened that scientists on board a British research ship sailed past the largest iceberg in the world. Researcher Laura Taylor said they took water samples on the sea surface along the path along which the A23a iceberg was moving. She said icebergs could provide nutrients to the sea, creating ecosystems.
A23a seen from ship ‘RRS Sir David Attenborough’
Source: AFP
The research ship RRS Sir David Attenborough is on its way to Antarctica for its first research mission. The trip is scheduled to last ten days and is part of a £9 million project. The British Antarctic Survey wants to contribute to a better understanding of how climate change will affect the Southern Ocean.
The journey across the iceberg is said to have occurred on Friday near the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. Chief scientist Andrew Myers said the event was an “incredible stroke of luck.” The A23a glacier is three times the size of New York City and covers about 4,000 square kilometers.
A23a broke off the Filchner Ice Shelf in 1986, but remained stuck on the seafloor and remained in the Weddell Sea for many years. The movements were first noticed in 2020. According to the British Antarctic Survey, the iceberg has now broken off from the sea floor and is moving with ocean currents towards the South Georgia Archipelago under Antarctica in the South Atlantic Ocean.
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