Share
Goliath of the Seas: The biggest iceberg in the world, conveniently named A23a, more than four times the size of New York City is slowly drifting towards South Georgia Island. The island is a prime breeding ground for penguins and seals, causing worry among environmentalists.
As Solid as a, well, Iceberg: Surprisingly, this gigantic iceberg is not disintegrating into smaller chunks as other "megabergs" generally do, rather it's staying in one solid piece as it travels through the chilling Southern Ocean. Researchers explain that predicting the exact path or timeline for the vast iceberg is tricky, as ocean currents seem to be guiding it towards a potential encounter with South Georgia in about two to four weeks' time.
A Matter of Path and Impact: Predicting the iceberg’s future course keeps researchers on their toes. It could miraculously miss the shelf and drift into the open water beyond South Georgia or it could hit the sloping sea-bottom splitting into chunks. Scientists warn of potentially serious implications for baby penguins and seals on the island should A23a run aground. In the past, such occurrences have caused significant death among young penguins and seals.
Size Matters: This monolith from the Antarctic shelf, with an impressive area of 3,500 sq km, broke free from its icy home in 2020 after being moored there for over 30 years. It’s being carried by the world’s most powerful ocean current, aptly termed the "jet-stream", the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. It is these strong currents that may propel it on a collision course with South Georgia.
Every Cloud has a Silver Lining: However, not all hope is lost for the local fauna. The arrival of this giant may bring about more phytoplankton, and as these microscopic organisms grow, they absorb carbon dioxide, helping with climate change in a small but significant way. Despite this potential boon, the increased rate of iceberg loss from Antarctica, likely due to human-induced climate change, is a cause for concern.
We hope you enjoyed this article. Please feel free to leave a comment below if you want to engage in the discussion.
If you want to read more like this, make sure to check out our Blog and follow us on Instagram. If you are interested in truly sustainable products, check out our Shop.
Check out the original source here.