Antarctic Weddell Sea since 1986… Moving from 2020
Scientists say it is a natural phenomenon, not an effect of warming
British research vessel collects surrounding seawater… “Helping ecosystem research”
The world’s largest iceberg, which had been stationary in northern Antarctica for about 37 years before beginning to move, was captured by a British polar research vessel.
On the 4th (local time), the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) released to the media video and photos of iceberg ‘A23a’ taken by a research vessel heading to the Weddell Sea in Antarctica on the 1st.
This iceberg has an area of about 4,000㎢, which is about 6.6 times the size of Seoul and 2.3 times the size of Jeju Island. It separated from the ‘Pilchner’ ice shelf in Antarctica in 1986 and remained anchored in the Weddell Sea for about 37 years. Then, the iceberg began to slowly melt and began to move little by little in 2020. In recent months, it has been observed that the movement speed has increased due to the influence of wind and ocean currents.
Scientists explained that the reason this iceberg started moving was not due to global warming, but was a natural phenomenon caused by slow melting. The iceberg is believed to travel along the Antarctic Circumpolar Current along a route known as ‘Iceberg Alley’ near the British island of South Georgia, about 1,600km east of the tip of South America.
A British research vessel encountered this huge iceberg while traveling on a mission, and in addition to taking videos and photos, it also collected samples of sea water around the iceberg. Scientists on the research vessel say this will allow them to study the impact of iceberg movement on the ecosystem. At the same time, he evaluated this incident as a luck that allowed him to secure important data.
“We were incredibly lucky that the iceberg’s path crossed the path we had planned,” said one scientist. Another scientist said, “We know that icebergs can provide nutrients to the ocean and help ecosystems thrive,” and added, “We collected samples of seawater around icebergs. “It will help us understand what kind of life can form around icebergs and what impact it has on the ocean,” he added.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.