The colossal iceberg A23a, larger than the ACT and twice the size of Greater London, is heading towards the British territory of South Georgia, raising concerns about the potential impact on penguin and seal populations.
The world's largest and oldest iceberg, known as A23a, is on a collision course with the British island of South Georgia , raising concerns about the potential impact on penguin and seal colonies. Dislodged from the seafloor in 2020 after being grounded for 30 years, A23a has been drifting northwards until it was caught in a swirling ocean vortex in 2024.
The iceberg is now moving towards South Georgia, positioned roughly 278 kilometers away and expected to make contact in two to four weeks, depending on ocean currents. A23a is a colossal structure, exceeding the size of the Australian Capital Territory and dwarfing Greater London. It broke off the Filchner Ice Shelf in Antarctica in 1986. Its 400-meter cliffs surpass the height of Australia's tallest building, the Q1 Tower on the Gold Coast, and it covers an area of approximately 3,500 square kilometers. However, warmer northern waters are causing the iceberg to melt, potentially breaking it into smaller segments. These smaller segments could drift around South Georgia uncontrollably for years, posing a significant danger to the island's king penguins, elephant seals, and fur seals. Past encounters with large icebergs have tragically resulted in the deaths of penguin chicks and seal pups when their access to feeding grounds was blocked. In 2004, an iceberg named A38 grounded to the northeast of South Georgia, devastating the penguin and seal populations by obstructing their foraging routes. 'South Georgia sits in 'iceberg alley', so impacts are to be expected for both fisheries and wildlife, and both have a great capacity to adapt,' said Mark Belchier, a marine ecologist advising the South Georgia government.A team from the British Antarctic Survey, aboard the research vessel Sir David Attenborough, investigated A23a in 2023. They sailed into a crack in the iceberg and collected water samples. Dr. Andrew Meijers, chief scientist on the expedition, remarked, 'It is amazing to see this huge berg in person – it stretches as far as the eye can see.' Laura Taylor, a biogeochemist who also participated in the mission, stated in December 2024, 'We know that these giant icebergs can provide nutrients to the waters they pass through, creating thriving ecosystems in otherwise less-productive areas.' She added, 'We took samples of ocean surface waters behind, immediately adjacent to and ahead of the iceberg’s route. They should help us determine what life could form around A23a.
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