On July 18, the Center for Ice and Hydrometeorological Information (TsLGMI) of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute of Roshydromet told Izvestia about the fate of the largest iceberg under the designation A23a, drifting towards Antarctica.
According to the center, the largest glacier in the world is supposedly moving towards the Weddell Sea.
It is noted that any iceberg carries a potential hazard to commercial fishing and supply vessels. However, the A23a is easily recognizable from the satellite, and modern ship systems can detect it from a long distance.
“(Iceberg) may be involved in the so-called Weddell Gyre – the slow current of the Weddell Sea, which will carry it first to the west and then to the north,” the center said.
In the future, the glacier may be gradually removed to the east of the Drake Passage. Then, under the influence of warm currents, waves and wind, it will slowly collapse.
Earlier in the day, it was reported that iceberg A23a had begun drifting towards Antarctica at a speed of 150 km per month. Its area is about 4170 sq. km, which is twice the area of St. Petersburg.
The iceberg in 1986 broke away from the outer edge of the Filchner ice shelf along with another large glacier, on which the Druzhnaya-1 seasonal base of the Soviet Antarctic expedition was located.
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