Antarctica's Oldest, Largest Iceberg Is Turning an Ominous Blue Color
Gizmodo••general
Key Points:
- Satellite images from NASA’s Terra satellite show extensive meltwater pools on iceberg A-23A’s surface, indicating it is close to complete disintegration.
- A-23A, once the largest iceberg in the world, broke off Antarctica’s Filchner Ice Shelf in 1986 and has since drifted northward, shrinking from 1,500 square miles to about 456 square miles.
- Scientists estimate the iceberg will fully disintegrate within days to weeks, as it faces warmer waters and structural weakening from meltwater pressure.
- Images from the International Space Station reveal surface striations formed by glacial movement, which now channel meltwater and contribute to the iceberg’s deterioration.
- The iceberg’s journey has been
