The world’s biggest iceberg is on the move after more than 30 years being stuck to the ocean floor.
The iceberg, called A23a, split from the Antarctic coastline in 1986. But it swiftly grounded in the Weddell Sea, becoming, essentially, an ice island.
At almost 4,000 sq km (1,500 sq miles) in area, it’s more than twice the size of Greater London.
The past year has seen it drifting at speed, and the berg is now about to spill beyond Antarctic waters.
A23a is a true colossus, and it’s not just its width that impresses.
This slab of ice is some 400m (1,312 ft) thick. For comparison, the London Shard, the tallest skyscraper in Europe, is a mere 310m tall.
A23a was part of a mass outbreak of bergs from the White Continent’s Filchner Ice Shelf.
At the time, it was hosting a Soviet research station, which just illustrates how long ago its calving occurred.
Read more at BBC.com
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