World’s largest iceberg on collision course with British island

The iceberg weighs a trillion tons and is twice as big as London

Stars Insider

24/01/25 | StarsInsider

LIFESTYLE Global warming

Antarctica is the world’s southernmost and least-populated continent. Unless you count its colonies of penguins, which are estimated to number around 44 million according to the latest stats by the World Population Review. Known as the highest, driest, coldest, and windiest place on Earth, Antarctica also harbors the planet’s largest ice sheet.

Now, new observations reveal that the largest iceberg in the world, dubbed the "queen of icebergs," is making its way toward a remote British island near Antarctica, six weeks after detaching from the sea floor. A23a, which separated from its grounding near the South Orkney Islands, is now on a collision course with the South Georgia Islands. While the iceberg will eventually fracture and melt, researchers are currently concerned about its potential disruption to penguins’ summer breeding season. Previous instances of giant icebergs becoming lodged near the South Georgia Islands have resulted in ecological crises, with countless seals and birds dying after losing access to the icy beaches and coves crucial for their feeding and survival.

Situated about 170 miles (280 km) from the island, A23a could become grounded and shatter upon contact. Though this iceberg's detachment isn’t linked to climate change (it calved decades ago), scientists warn that warming oceans and air are making Antarctic ice sheets increasingly unstable, likely leading to more giant icebergs breaking away in the future.

What could this mean for Antarctica, our planet, and the 44 million penguins that call it home? Click through the gallery to uncover the beautiful and fragile continent.

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