The Briefing Room
General Category => Science, Technology and Knowledge => Topic started by: libertybele on November 25, 2023, 02:27:16 am
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World's largest iceberg breaks free, heads toward Southern Ocean
At almost 4,000 square km (1,500 square miles), the Antarctic iceberg called A23a is roughly three times the size of New York City.
Since calving off West Antarctica's Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf in 1986, the iceberg — which once hosted a Soviet research station — has largely been stranded after its base became stuck on the floor of the Weddell Sea.
Not anymore. Recent satellite images reveal that the berg, weighing nearly a trillion metric tonnes, is now drifting quickly past the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, aided by strong winds and currents.
It's rare to see an iceberg of this size on the move, said British Antarctic Survey glaciologist Oliver Marsh, so scientists will be watching its trajectory closely.
As it gains steam, the colossal berg will likely be launched into the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. This will funnel it toward the Southern Ocean on a path known as "iceberg alley" where others of its kind can be found bobbing in dark waters.
https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/worlds-largest-iceberg-breaks-free-heads-toward-southern-ocean-2023-11-24/
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Excuse me for being amused at the thought of an iceberg 'gaining steam'. :silly:
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They should find a way to push it towards a drought stricken nation and mine it for it's water before it melts and raises the level of the ocean :tongue2: :silly: :silly: