The world's largest iceberg is moving again after being trapped in a vortex for most of the year.
The A23a is 3,800 sq km (1,500 sq mi), which is more than twice the size of Greater London, and is 400 m (1,312 ft) thick. He broke free from Antarctica in 1986 but soon got stuck just off the coast.
The depth of the iceberg meant that its base was embedded on the floor of the Weddell Sea, part of the Southern Ocean, where it remained stationary for over 30 years.
It started to move north in 2020 but, since spring, it has been spinning on the spot after being caught in a rotating column of water near the South Orkney Islands.
On Friday the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) said they were now moving further north.
Dr Andrew Meijers, an oceanographer at BAS, said: “It's great to see the A23a moving again after periods of being stuck.
“We are interested to see if it takes the same route as the other large icebergs that have calved off Antarctica.”
A23a is thought to eventually leave the Southern Ocean and enter the Atlantic Ocean where it will meet warmer waters and likely break up into smaller icebergs and finally melting.
Dr Meijers and BAS are studying the impact of icebergs on local ecosystems after they pass through.
(BBC)
A year ago there were researchers on board the Sir David Attenborough's RRS collected data from the water around the A23a.
Laura Taylor, a biologist who was part of the team, said: “We know that these huge icebergs can provide nutrients to the waters they pass through, creating thriving ecosystems there. the less productive areas.
“What we don't know is how much difference a particular iceberg, its scale and its origin might make to that process. “
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