Satellite data: world’s largest iceberg heading for collision with penguin island

Scientists keep a close eye on the world’s largest iceberg, A23a. It broke off from an ice shelf in Antarctica a few years ago and has been slowly drifting in the ocean ever since. Satellite images indicate it is heading toward South Georgia Island, known for its penguin colonies.

Iceberg A23a. Source: www.space.com

Satellite observations

The world’s largest iceberg, A23a, is drifting toward South Georgia Island, a remote and ecologically important wildlife refuge. 

This massive ice block, roughly the size of Rhode Island, poses a significant threat to the island’s delicate ecosystem, home to penguins and seals. 

Satellite images, including recent data collected by the GOES East satellite from January 22, 2025, keep a close eye on the iceberg’s slow journey through the Southern Ocean, where it may soon reach the shallow waters around South Georgia.

Huge iceberg

Iceberg A23a has caused scientists concern ever since it broke away from an Antarctica ice shelf in 1986. After remaining stationary for more than three decades, the iceberg finally broke free in 2020 and began drifting northward.

According to AFP News, iceberg A23a, measuring about 1,350 square miles (3,500 square kilometers), is the largest and oldest iceberg in the world. Its impressive size and slow, steady motion have mesmerized oceanographers and researchers, although predicting its exact path has proven difficult due to the unpredictable forces of ocean currents.

Unlike many previous “megabergs” that break up into smaller chunks, A23a has shown no signs of disintegration, which only adds to concerns about its collision with South Georgia Island. 

Andrew Meijers, a physical oceanographer at the British Antarctic Survey, said the iceberg was now heading northeast, but prevailing currents indicate it could hit the shallow continental shelf around South Georgia in two to four weeks. If that happens, the consequences could be terrible for the island’s wildlife, Meyers told AFP News.

Potential impact

The potential impact on the South Georgia Island ecosystem is a concern. Penguins, seals and other marine animals depend on the waters surrounding the island for food and breeding. If A23a sets down on the continental shelf or disrupts currents, it could block access to important feeding areas.

Meijers warned that icebergs had previously grounded near the island, causing significant mortality among penguin chicks and baby seals, especially when their feeding grounds were cut off by ice. Such a scenario could harm the survival of these already vulnerable species, especially during the crucial breeding season.

Next path of the iceberg

Despite these concerns, there is still some uncertainty about the path of the iceberg. It is possible that A23a could bypass the shelf and drift into open water, bypassing South Georgia.

In addition, the iceberg could get stuck for months or split into smaller pieces, which could seriously interfere with seals and penguins trying to feed and raise babies on the island, according to Meijers.

Raul Cordero of Chile’s University of Santiago, a member of the National Antarctic Research Committee, is confident that the iceberg will not hit South Georgia. “The island acts as an obstacle for ocean currents and therefore usually diverts the water long before it reaches the island,” Cordero told AFP News.

Glaciologist Soledad Tiranti, who is now part of an Argentine research mission in Antarctica, explained that icebergs like A23a are so massive that they usually land on the seafloor before they even reach an island or mainland, AFP News reported.

The situation remains variable and scientists are closely monitoring the iceberg’s progress with regular satellite imagery and ocean monitoring.

According to www.space.com

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