Melting of the world's largest iceberg: how long does it have to live? | world

The largest iceberg in the world is likely melting It will be the last months of its existence“, according to international media BBC. It is worth noting that A23a It broke off from the Antarctic coast in 1986, however I started moving At the end of 2023 After being anchored at sea for 30 years Weddle.

The largest iceberg in the world may disappear

A ship belonging to an exploration company Eos It was the one that reported the existence of huge caves and arches, as a result of the melting of ice, according to British media. This would happen due to the warmth of the air and water at the surface where A23aWhich has been moving away from Antarctica since the end of 2023.

It is worth noting that the largest iceberg in the world broke off Antarctica coast In 1986 I started moving 4000 km^{2From the surface A few months ago. Currently, he is in Antarctic currenton the way to “Ice Alley”, which is the main ice exit route on the White Continent}

The constant movement of the enormous mass of ice will determine its oceanic life; However, BBC He decided that the iceberg was destined to “crumble and melt until it disappears.” according to Strachanthe team's expedition leader Eos Which was on the roof A23a, “Ice cascades are created,” as well as a “continuous state of erosion.”.

How long will A23a survive?

A time of existence A23a It will be determined by the temperatures it experiences during its movement, because increased warmth in the air or water will create puddles due to melting ice, which will flow across the glacier, helping it break open. Of cracks that would cause separation.

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) expects that the caves and arches on the surface of the glacier will collapse, leaving areas of submerged ice that will end up eating the edges of the huge mass of ice after it rises due to its buoyancy. Something he had already gone through. Iceberg D28: It is located in the South Atlantic Ocean and has lost about a third of its surface.

“Dramatic and beautiful to photograph”

On Sunday, January 14, an Eos Expeditions ship sailed close to A23a and placed a drone on it. In this way, the team was able to estimate the 30-metre-high glacier. “It was dramatic and beautiful to photograph“It's amazingly big,” said Richard Sidey, a videographer at Eyos, according to DW. In fact, I don't think we can imagine how big it is; We can only know thanks to science. It's too big for photography. “It extends as far as the eye can see in both directions,” he added.

Thanks to satellite vision, it is possible to measure and control the thickness of the surface, which at some points exceeds 300 metres. The mass is in question, because it will decrease daily, although scientists estimate that now it will not be far from a billion tons.

After how long did A23a start moving?

The world's largest iceberg, also known as A23a, has begun its journey towards the waters of the South Atlantic Ocean after remaining stranded until 2020 on the shores of Antarctica. The large mass of ice broke off the Antarctic coast in 1986 and settled in the Weddell Sea for more than 30 years.