World's largest iceberg breaks free, heads toward Southern Ocean

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Reuters

November 24, 2023 11:05 AM EST


Nov 24 - The world's largest iceberg is on the move for the first time in more than three decades, scientists said on Friday. At almost 4,000 square km (1,500 square miles), the Antarctic iceberg called A23a is roughly three times the size of New York City.

Since calving off West Antarctica's Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf in 1986, the iceberg — which once hosted a Soviet research station — has largely been stranded after its base became stuck on the floor of the Weddell Sea. Not anymore. Recent satellite images reveal that the berg, weighing nearly a trillion metric tonnes, is now drifting quickly past the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, aided by strong winds and currents.

It's rare to see an iceberg of this size on the move, said British Antarctic Survey glaciologist Oliver Marsh, so scientists will be watching its trajectory closely. As it gains steam, the colossal berg will likely be launched into the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. This will funnel it toward the Southern Ocean on a path known as "iceberg alley" where others of its kind can be found bobbing in dark waters.

Why the berg is making a run for it now remains to be seen. "Over time it's probably just thinned slightly and got that little bit of extra buoyancy that's allowed it to lift off the ocean floor and get pushed by ocean currents," said Marsh. A23a is also among the world's oldest icebergs.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/worlds-largest-iceberg-breaks-free-heads-toward-southern-ocean-2023-11-24/

[mopinko]

1. that cant b good.

[Joinfortmill]

2. Yikes

[Hermit-The-Prog]

3. Somebody left the gate open. We are cooking ourselves.

[Hekate]

4. Not a good sign...

[Duppers]

5. Sure, the planet isn't warming 😞

And sure, we humans have not caused it.

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. Actually, this time they think it's probably just something that happens occasionally

It was stuck for over 30 years; it was going to break free some time.

So, why, after almost 40 years, is A23a on the move now?

"I asked a couple of colleagues about this, wondering if there was any possible change in shelf water temperatures that might have provoked it, but the consensus is the time had just come," said Dr Andrew Fleming, a remote sensing expert from the British Antarctic Survey.

"It was grounded since 1986 but eventually it was going to decrease (in size) sufficiently to lose grip and start moving. I spotted first movement back in 2020."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-67507558

[EarthFirst]

6. We fu*ked up...

Sigh.

[Cheezoholic]

8. So if one wanted too, could they fly (or by boat) supplies and materials there, set up some living quarters

and just live on the thing? Hell its big enough for an air strip. Could even build hundreds of "cabins" maybe a casino and some "Ice Coasters" in a theme park lol. I'm sure there's some kind of international law for commandeering an ice berg.

[rubbersole]

11. tRump Tower South Poles....

..'I love the Poles...'

[aggiesal]

12. Maybe the people that signed up for that 3 year cruise, ...

can hitch a ride on this floating piece of water.

[dembotoz]

13. a large floating reseach facility....or how much would you pay to spend a night on an iceberg?

this IS an opportunity for something.....

[Cheezoholic]

15. A bottled water company

Berg A23 lol

[No Vested Interest]

9. All that fresh water going to waste.

[SpankMe]

10. Not only can you see it from space

...you can practically see it from Mars.

I remember reading about this in the late '80's. There were scientists - on the fringe at the time, thankfully - proposing that nukes be used to break it up small enough that it wouldn't impact shipping lanes and that the smaller bergs could be towed to countries experiencing draught and be "mined" for fresh water. Fun times.

[Martin68]

14. Amazing. Be nice if it floated near enough to a drought-stricken country to be used as a source of

fresh water.

[GB_RN]

16. When Someone Yelled...

“Burn it all down”, I seriously doubt that this is what they, or anyone else (except maybe the end-times Talibangelicals) had in mind.
🤦‍♂️

[Emile]

17. Video

?si=k0hD4D1ybt7qWjg9