{"id":41784,"date":"2025-01-23T15:08:40","date_gmt":"2025-01-23T20:08:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/fears-that-the-worlds-biggest-iceberg-could-hit-island-in-the-south-atlantic\/23\/01\/2025\/"},"modified":"2025-01-23T15:08:40","modified_gmt":"2025-01-23T20:08:40","slug":"fears-that-the-worlds-biggest-iceberg-could-hit-island-in-the-south-atlantic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/fears-that-the-worlds-biggest-iceberg-could-hit-island-in-the-south-atlantic\/23\/01\/2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Fears that the world\u2019s biggest iceberg could hit island in the South Atlantic"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n<\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The world\u2019s largest iceberg is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2024\/12\/16\/climate\/worlds-biggest-iceberg-a23a-moving-intl-scli\/index.html?cid=external-feeds_iluminar_yahoo\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:still on the move;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">still on the move<\/a> and there are fears that it could be headed north from Antarctica towards the island of South Georgia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The iceberg, called A23a, was previously \u201ctrapped\u201d spinning around an undersea mountain for several months, according to Andrew Meijers, a physical oceanographer at the British Antarctic Survey.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Now, it appears that it is moving with the prevailing current towards South Georgia, a British Overseas Territory in the southern Atlantic Ocean.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cIt is presently in a meander of the current and not moving directly towards the island,\u201d said Meijers in a statement sent to CNN Thursday. \u201cBut our understanding of the currents suggest that it is likely to again move towards the island soon.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cIcebergs are inherently dangerous. I would be extraordinarily happy if it just completely missed us,\u201d said sea captain Simon Wallace, who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/cd64vvg4z6go\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:spoke to the BBC;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">spoke to the BBC<\/a> from the South Georgia government vessel Pharos.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cWe have searchlights on all night to try to see ice &#8211; it can come from nowhere,\u201d Wallace added.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-[4] size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>&#8220;It is likely to again move towards the island soon,\u201d said Andrew Meijers, an oceanographer at British Antarctic Survey. &#8211; Jean-Felix Fayolle\/Zeppel\/SIPA\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The iceberg remains the largest in the world, according to measurements updated by the <a href=\"https:\/\/usicecenter.gov\/Products\/AntarcIcebergs\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:US National Ice Center;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">US National Ice Center<\/a> earlier this month.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Spanning an area of 3,672 square kilometers (1,418-square-miles) when measured in August \u2014 slightly smaller than Rhode Island and more than twice the size of London \u2014 the A23a iceberg has been carefully tracked by scientists ever since it calved from the Filchner-Ronne ice shelf in 1986.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">It remained grounded on the Antarctic\u2019s Weddell Sea floor for more than 30 years, probably until it shrank just enough to loosen its grip on the seafloor.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Then, the iceberg was carried away by ocean currents before it became stuck again in a Taylor column \u2013 the name given to a spinning vortex of water caused by ocean currents hitting an underwater mountain.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">In December, the iceberg broke free. Initially, scientists said they expected it to continue drifting along the ocean currents and towards warmer water.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">At the time, the British Antarctic Survey said the iceberg would likely break up and eventually melt when it reached the remote island of South Georgia.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"A satellite image of A23a in Antarctica taken in November 2023. - European Union\/Copernicus Sentinel-3\/Handout\/Reuters\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/jrK49q3xvaCej9UocIMU5A--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/cnn_articles_875\/7870851ebf8d15d54164ea50abf03289\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-[4] size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>A satellite image of A23a in Antarctica taken in November 2023. &#8211; European Union\/Copernicus Sentinel-3\/Handout\/Reuters<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">But for now, at least in satellite images, the iceberg appears to have maintained its structure and is yet to break up into smaller chunks, as previous \u201cmegabergs\u201d have done, said Meijers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">It\u2019s now a question of whether the iceberg will follow the current and head for the open South Atlantic or if it will run onto the continental shelf where it would become stuck for some time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cIf this happens, it could seriously impede access to feeding grounds for the wildlife \u2013 seals and penguins mostly \u2013 that breed on the island,\u201d said Meijers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Meanwhile, Mark Belchier, director of fisheries and environment for the government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, told CNN Thursday that he was keeping a close eye on the track of the iceberg. \u201cWhilst they are common at South Georgia, they can cause issues for shipping and fishing vessels in the region,\u201d Belchier added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Belchier said any potential impacts to wildlife would likely be \u201chighly localized and transient.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands have a rich biodiversity and are home to one of the world\u2019s largest Marine Protected Areas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Scientists have said that this particular iceberg probably broke away as part of the natural growth cycle of the ice shelf and not because of the fossil fuel-driven climate crisis. But global warming is driving <a href=\"https:\/\/cnn.com\/2024\/01\/17\/climate\/iceberg-a23a-erosion-photos-scli-intl-scn-climate\/index.html?cid=external-feeds_iluminar_yahoo\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:worrying changes;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">worrying changes<\/a> in Antarctica, with potentially devastating consequences for global sea level rise.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">CNN\u2019s Issy Ronald contributed reporting.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cnn.com\/account\/register?source=external-feeds_iluminar&amp;cid=external-feeds_iluminar_yahoo&amp;registration_email_campaign=https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/newsletters\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:CNN.com;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">CNN.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/fears-world-biggest-iceberg-could-161223271.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The world&rsquo;s largest iceberg is still on the move and there are fears that it could be headed north from Antarctica towards<br \/><button class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/fears-that-the-worlds-biggest-iceberg-could-hit-island-in-the-south-atlantic\/23\/01\/2025\/\">Read More &rsaquo;<\/a><\/button><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":41786,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41784"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41784"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41784\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41786"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41784"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41784"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41784"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}