We’ve all seen videos of large chunks of ice breaking free and falling into the ocean to float away. One iceberg where this happened, however, didn’t create a huge splash, but is causing a lot of scientists to step up and look closer.

The iceberg, which is named A23A, sat attached to the sea floor in the Weddell Sea, which is just east of the Antarctic. In 2020, however, it broke away and started slowly floating north. In 2023, it left the Antarctic waters, spinning around in the ocean current.

Recently, it actually ran into the continental shelf located around 50 miles from the South Georgia Island, which is a remote British territory. This island is not inhabited by anyone permanently, but scientists often visit to do research, and people going on ocean cruises will sometimes stop there as well to enjoy the beautiful island.

So, what makes this such a big deal? Well, A23a is the biggest iceberg in the world.

It is about four times the size of New York City. When it broke away, it was about 1500 square miles, and today it is estimated to be 1330 square miles. Interestingly, that is about the same size as South Georgia Island itself.

In a statement, Andrew Meijers, who is a British Antarctic Survey oceanographer, said:

“If the iceberg stays grounded, we don’t expect it to significantly affect the local wildlife of South Georgia. In the last few decades, the many icebergs that end up taking this route through the Southern Ocean soon break up, disperse and melt.”

So, the island should stay safe, even though it will undoubtedly impact the view from some parts of the island, and may even disrupt some ships that travel in the area. Meijers added:

“Commercial fisheries have been disrupted in the past, however, and as the berg breaks into smaller pieces, this might make fishing operations in the area both more difficult and potentially hazardous.”

When a large iceberg breaks away and moves north like this, it will always eventually melt away after it breaks into smaller pieces. This can have a significant impact on the water in the area since icebergs are made up of fresh water.

Meijers talked about the local ecosystem and even pointed out that wildlife may benefit from this event:

“From a scientific perspective we are keen to see how the iceberg will affect the local ecosystem. Nutrients stirred up by the grounding and from its melt may boost food availability for the whole regional ecosystem, including for charismatic penguins and seals.”

Assuming it says where it is for some time, scientists will be able to analyze its environmental impact, which could provide important insights into how climate change may change different areas of the world.

Fortunately, monitoring the iceberg is easy because it is so large it can be seen from space.

If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read about the mysterious “pyramids” discovered in Antarctica. What are they?