A23a is a large tabular iceberg which calved from the Filchner–Ronne Ice Shelf in 1986. It was stuck on the sea bed for many years but then started moving in 2020. As of January 2025, its area is about 3,500 square kilometres (1,400 sq mi), which makes it the current largest iceberg in the world. [2] [3] [4]

1 day ago · A23a has followed roughly the same path as previous massive icebergs, passing the east side of the Antarctica Peninsula through the Weddell Sea along a route called "iceberg alley." That is the ...

5 days ago · Scientists are monitoring A23a closely due to concerns that it may collide with South Georgia Island, potentially threatening a delicate ecosystem which is home to penguins and seals. Satellites play a crucial role in tracking its journey as it …

1 day ago · The world's biggest iceberg, known A23a, is on a collision course with a tiny island in the South Atlantic, which is home to millions of seals and nearly half the world's population of king penguins.

6 days ago · The iceberg, called A23a, was previously “trapped” spinning around an undersea mountain for several months, according to Andrew Meijers, a physical oceanographer at the British Antarctic Survey.

Dec 16, 2024 · A23a has held the “largest current iceberg” title several times since the 1980s, occasionally being surpassed by larger but shorter-lived icebergs, including A68 in 2017 and A76 in 2021.

Welcome to the journey of Iceberg A23a, a colossal piece of ice that broke away from the Filchner Ice Shelf in Antarctica in 1986. For over three decades, A23a remained anchored in the Weddell Sea, but recent shifts in ocean currents have set it on a significant migration path.

Dec 20, 2024 · About the size of Rhode Island, the iceberg known as A23a got stuck in an ocean vortex this summer, spinning in place for months. Now, it's free, and heading back into open Antarctic waters.

Dec 1, 2023 · The world's largest iceberg, A23a, is moving into the open waters near Antarctica after being essentially stuck in place for decades. It's seen here in satellite imagery from Nov. 15.

Aug 10, 2024 · The world's largest iceberg, A23a, is stuck again. For more than 30 years, the giant frozen block — equivalent to the size of Rhode Island — was grounded on the sea floor in Antarctic coastal ...