AP: One of world's largest icebergs drifting beyond Antarctic waters after it was grounded for 3 decades
One of worlds largest icebergs drifting beyond Antarctic waters after it was grounded for 3 decadesUpdated 12:16 PM EST, November 25, 2023
LONDON (AP) One of the worlds largest icebergs is drifting beyond Antarctic waters, after being grounded for more than three decades, according to the British Antarctic Survey.
The iceberg, known as A23a, split from the Antarctics Filchner Ice Shelf in 1986. But it became stuck to the ocean floor and had remained for many years in the Weddell Sea.
The iceberg is about three times the size of New York City and more than twice the size of Greater London, measuring around 4,000 square kilometers (1,500 square miles).
Andrew Fleming, a remote sensing expert from the British Antarctic Survey, told the BBC on Friday that the iceberg has been drifting for the past year and now appears to be picking up speed and moving past the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, helped by wind and ocean currents.