Satellite imagery shows the Rhode Island-sized iceberg known as A23a spinning in place near Antarctica throughout the month of October. (Courtesy: CSU/CIRA & NOAA)
A massive iceberg, known as A23a, is on an apparent collision course with South Georgia Island, a British territory in the South Atlantic Ocean.
The giant sheet of ice, which originally broke off from Antarctica in 1986, had been stationary for decades before it began moving again in 2020.
NOAA’s GOES East satellite recently captured imagery of the iceberg, slowly drifting northeastward away from Antarctica and toward South Georgia Island.
According to the U.S. National Ice Center, the iceberg was estimated to cover an area of 1,062 nautical miles, roughly the size of Rhode Island.
As of last report, the iceberg was located approximately 200 miles off the island’s coast and at the mercy of ocean currents.
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The world’s largest iceberg could be on a collision course with the United Kingdom’s South Georgia Island.
(NOAA)
The British territory is not thought to have any year-round residents but is frequented by tourists and biologists interested in the remote island’s pristine environment.
According to NOAA, the island has an extensive population of penguins, seals, and birds in what is considered to be a more mild climate when compared to the extremes faced at the South Pole.
Due to the island’s location about 1,700 miles off the coast of Antarctica, the territory has had several encounters with icebergs that have caused significant disruptions to wildlife.
The agency said that in 2004, Iceberg A-38B ran aground near the island’s continental shelf, causing extensive hardships for marine life.
Similarly, in 2020, scientists tracked iceberg A-68, which seemed to be on a collision course with the island, but fortunately, the ice broke apart into smaller fragments, largely bypassing the island.
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Map for path of A-68A in 2020.
(NASA)
NOAA has not provided an exact timeline for when a collision might occur, but it continues to closely monitor its movements with satellites.
Icebergs like A23a are a growing concern as warming ocean temperatures contribute to the increased calving of ice from around the globe’s southernmost continent.
The U.S. National Ice Center constantly tracks dozens of icebergs that pose a threat to shipping routes around the waters of Antarctica.