The largest iceberg in the world, A-23a, has started moving into the open ocean. In the 1980s, large areas of ice broke off from West Antarctica. While other icebergs were much smaller, A-23a was the largest in size. However, it was stuck on the ocean floor for more than 30 years. Some months ago, A-23a broke free and due to strong winds and ocean currents started drifting into the South Atlantic Ocean.
The gigantic iceberg is about 44 miles long and 30 miles wide , about three times the size of New York City. Its ice is up to 400 metres thick and weighs over a trillion tons.
In the past, there were several research stations in the area, including a Soviet station that was evacuated in the 1980s when the iceberg broke off.
Normally, icebergs that break off Antarctica move north towards South Georgia or the Falkland Islands. Many of them melt before reaching these areas. Scientists expect A-23a to go much further because of its sheer size.
If it does reach South George it may pose a threat to wildlife there, and endanger the breeding places of penguins, seals and seabirds.
Iceberg off the coast of Antarctica
Image: Andrew Shiva / Wikipedia
Words
- breeding place = areas where animals reproduce and have babies
- current = the movement of water in the ocean or the sea
- drift = float
- due to = because of
- endanger = put something in danger
- evacuate = leave because something has become too dangerous
- pose = be
- research station = a place where scientists carry out experiments
- scientist = person who is trained in science and works in a lab
- seal = large animal that eats fish and lives near the coast
- several = a few
- sheer = unbelievable
- size = how big something is
- Soviet = Soviet Union = the country that existed before Russia
- stuck = if something cannot move
- trillion = 1,000,000,000,000,000 = a number with 12 zeros