The world’s largest iceberg is currently coming from the British Isles of South Georgia, threatening wildlife that has the habit of reproducing in the area.
A large iceberg on the surface equivalent to 30 times Paris, straight from Antarctica, is slowly drifting into the ocean. Iceberg A23A, 3,500 square kilometers wide and approximately 45 meters high, emerged from the sea in 1986, making it the oldest ice block in the world.
A huge ice wall, stuck on the seabed after 30 years at the airfield, drained the moorings in 2020. With an average speed of 20 centimeters per second, pushed by the most powerful ocean current (the Antarctic circumpolar current) He began a long trajectory… but where? This worries scientists.
Towards South Georgia?
This mountain of seas appears to rotate in a straight line toward South Georgia, south of the Atlantic, explains Andrew Meijers, oceanographer with the British Antarctic Survey. A coast where the Ice Colossus should reach in two to four weeks, according to experts.
But what worries him most is the fauna present in these territories: sea lions and penguins, which tend to reproduce in these areas during the southern summer. “If the iceberg is stuck there,” explains Andrew Meijers, “the animals could be forced to go around it. This would cause them to spend a lot more energy, meaning fewer resources for small ones and therefore an increase in mortality.” Animal populations that scientists say are already fragile because of bird flu.
Nevertheless, this iceberg is not just synonymous with bad news, as it also contains nutrients that promote phytoplankton, the basis of the diet of many marine species such as whales. However, it should be noted that even if iceberg formation is a natural phenomenon, it is most likely accelerated by global warming, analysis Andrew Meijer.