Iceberg Headed for Sub-Antarctic Island Could Threaten Wildlife
The iceberg, known as A68a, broke apart from the Antarctic Peninsula in 2017 and has been drifting ever since.
The western edge of the iceberg A68a, top right, in 2017 after it separated from the Larsen C ice shelf.Credit...Mario Tama/Getty Images
An iceberg roughly the size of Delaware that is headed toward the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia has experts worried about the possibility of it blocking wildlife from food sources and threatening the islands ecosystem.
The iceberg, known as A68a, was about 400 kilometers, or about 250 miles, away from the coast of the British island territory of South Georgia as of Wednesday, the British Antarctic Survey said.
The iceberg may run aground near the island and be a few weeks out from the islands coast, said Andrew Fleming, a remote sensing manager with the survey.
The iceberg broke off from the Antarctic Peninsula in 2017 and is about 100 miles long and 30 miles wide. The trajectory of the iceberg could change and steer clear of the island, because its in the strongest ocean current where waters are not impeded by continents. This means the iceberg could easily sail past the island, all depending on the course nature takes.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/07/science/giant-iceberg.html