Earth from Space: The Fate of a Giant
4 months ago
- #iceberg
- #climate-change
- #antarctica
- The A23a iceberg, once the world's largest, is shown in a cloud-free image from the South Atlantic Ocean.
- A23a calved from the Filchner-Ronne ice shelf in West Antarctica in 1986, originally measuring around 4000 sq km.
- After being grounded for decades, it began drifting in 2020 and moved 2000 km north by 2025.
- By December 2025, A23a had broken into smaller pieces, reducing its size to roughly 1000 sq km.
- Meltwater ponds on its surface indicate rapid disintegration due to warmer sea temperatures and weather conditions.
- A23a is expected to fully disintegrate soon as it moves into even warmer waters.