Until now, the iceberg was rotating on itself due to a phenomenon known as “Taylor’s Column.” However, it has now broken free and is already heading north.
He largest iceberg in the worldknown as A23a, has begun to move after remaining motionless on the seabed for more than 30 years. According to the newspaper The Sunthis gigantic block of ice, with a surface area of approximately 4,000 km² (equivalent to 20 times the city of Buenos Aires) and a thickness of 400 meters, It broke off from the Filchner Ice Shelf in Antarctica in 1986.
After separating from the Antarctic coast, A23a became anchored at the bottom of the Weddell Sea, where it remained static for decades. It was only in 2020 that it began to move again, although its movement stopped again earlier this year.
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Now, scientists observed that the iceberg A23a was spinning in the same place due to a natural phenomenon known as Taylor’s Column, that kept him trapped for months. This phenomenon affected its movement, but now the iceberg has freed itself and resumed its slow journey northward, according to experts from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS).
“It is fascinating to see how A23a is moving again after periods in which it was immobile. We are interested in discovering whether it will follow the same route as other large icebergs that calved from Antarctica and, especially, what effects it could have on the ecosystem of the Antarctic. region,” said BAS oceanographer Professor Andrew Meijers.
The course of the largest iceberg in the world
According to initial projections, A23a will resume its trajectory prior to being trapped by the Taylor Column. This displacementor it will take you towards the Southern Ocean, guided by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.
Upon reaching the waters near the islands, A23a will likely begin to break up into smaller icebergs due to rising water temperatures. According to experts, it is very likely that it will end up melting shortly after reaching the island region.
Source: Ambito
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