#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. The world’s largest iceberg A23a, measuring 4.2 thousand square meters, which is equal to the area of about two St. Petersburgs, began to move for the first time in mid-November 2023. As a result of the drift, it was carried into the Southern ocean waters. This may lead to the fact that in the coming months the iceberg will begin to rapidly collapse and may disappear.
“According to specialists from the Center for Ice and Hydrometeorological Information of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI), in the next month the iceberg will enter the Scotia sea, where it will soon cease to exist”, reports the AARI press service.
A23a is known to have broken off from the outer edge of the Filchner ice shelf back in September 1986. Before the iceberg began to move, it had been stranded in the central Weddell sea for more than 30 years.
“In the future, it can quite quickly cease to exist under the influence of wind, waves and warm ocean waters of the Antarctic current. However, it cannot yet be ruled out that iceberg A23a will be able to remain in the Weddell gyre system, in which case its life will extend for several more years”, the press service added.
Earlier, we reported that the reduction in ice in the Arctic in the summer of 2023 was significant, but not extreme.
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Text: Polina Bardik, Photo: Nikolay Shchipko
