The planet`s largest iceberg, A23a, has once again undergone significant changes: four gigantic fragments have broken off, reducing its total area by almost 20 percent. Despite this, the colossal ice mass still covers approximately 1,423 square kilometers, maintaining its status as the world`s biggest iceberg. This information was reported by the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI).
AARI experts specify that the detached sections, with a combined area exceeding 800 square kilometers, are now moving independently. A23a itself continues to drift north of South Georgia Island, while its smaller fragments have been carried away by southwestern currents.
These ice formations pose no threat to maritime navigation, as their substantial size allows them to be reliably detected by ship radars. Their melting process also has no significant impact on global sea levels, as the melting occurs gradually, and the water is evenly distributed across the ocean.
Since its formation in 1986, when its area measured a colossal 4,170 square kilometers, A23a has undergone several stages of fragmentation. Initially, it remained stationary for a long time in the Weddell Sea before beginning its slow drift along the Antarctic coast.
Earlier, in early September, scientists had already reported another significant split in the iceberg, when it divided into three parts and lost approximately a thousand square kilometers of its area.
