In recent months, the iceberg has started to move faster due to the wind and water currents, reports the British broadcaster BBC. The iceberg is moving at such a speed that it is almost leaving Antarctic waters.
‘About time’
Several scientists have wondered why the iceberg has suddenly started moving now, after more than thirty years. According to Andrew Fleming, an Antarctic scientist, there were no changes in water temperature.
“I have asked several colleagues about this, but the conclusion is that it was just about time,” says the scientist to the BBC.
According to the scientist, this has to do with the fact that icebergs decrease in size over time because they melt.
On the way to the South Atlantic Ocean
The giant ice shelf is now heading towards the South Atlantic Ocean and may reach South Georgia. The iceberg probably ends up in the westerly wind drift, a sea current where many icebergs float.
Should the iceberg reach South Georgia – an island in the South Georgia archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean – it could cause problems for the millions of seals, penguins and seabirds in the area, according to the BBC.
There is also good news: all icebergs eventually melt and many minerals are released when they melt. These minerals serve as nutrients for important marine organisms.
Whatever the precise route of the A23a, scientists are keeping an eye on it.
2023-11-24 08:58:36
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