Scientists on November 24 reported that the world's largest iceberg has moved for the first time in over three decades.​

According to Reuters, covering an area of nearly 4,000 km2, this iceberg is located in Antarctica and is named A23a, with a size nearly three times that of the city of New York.

Since its separation from the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf in West Antarctica in 1986, this iceberg has largely been stuck in the Weddell Sea.

Recent satellite images show that the iceberg weighing nearly 1,000 billion tons is currently drifting rapidly to the north of the Antarctic Peninsula, driven by strong winds and currents.

View attachment 1128 Image of the A23a iceberg in Antarctica on November 23. Photo: AFP

British researcher Oliver Marsh, working at the British Antarctic Survey, stated that it is very rare to see an iceberg of this size move, so scientists will closely monitor its path.

“Over time, its weight might decrease slightly, allowing it to rise from the ocean floor and be pushed away by currents. A23a is also one of the oldest icebergs in the world," said Marsh.

The researcher speculated that A23a may move towards South Georgia Island (an island in the southern Atlantic). This would pose problems for wildlife in Antarctica. Millions of seals and penguins that breed on the island and forage in the surrounding seas would be affected.
View attachment 1129 The world's largest iceberg, A23a, on November 15, 2023 - Photo: NASA Worldview

In 2020, another massive iceberg, A68, raised concerns that it would collide with South Georgia Island, crushing marine life and cutting off food sources. Fortunately, that disaster did not occur as the iceberg broke into smaller pieces. Scientists are also hoping that this will happen with A23a.

“However, such a massive iceberg could survive quite a while in the South Atlantic, despite much warmer weather, and it could drift further north towards South Africa. We cannot yet determine the extent of the impact this iceberg will have," Marsh assessed.