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World’s largest iceberg is finally about to disappear 40 years after breaking away from Antarctica

Megaberg twice the size of London could melt away within weeks

Stuti Mishra, Independent, 03 September 2025 

A large Antarctic iceberg that calved almost four decades ago is now in its final days, with scientists saying it could vanish within weeks after drifting into warmer seas.

The megaberg, known as A23a, broke off the Filchner Ice Shelf in 1986 and became stuck on the seabed of the Weddell Sea, where it remained grounded for over 30 years.

It set adrift in 2020 and was carried by ocean currents into the “iceberg alley” – the South Atlantic route where most of Antarctica’s giants eventually meet their end.

Earlier this year, A23a still covered nearly 3,100 sq km, making it the world’s largest iceberg, bigger than Long Island and more than twice the size of London.

In recent months, however, enormous sections have splintered away. Satellite images analysed by the EU’s Copernicus programme show it has shrunk to less than half its original size, now measuring about 1,770 sq km.

Some of the breakaway fragments are themselves colossal, including one that is 400 sq km in area, while countless smaller bergs, still large enough to pose hazards to shipping, now litter surrounding waters.

The megaberg is breaking up “fairly dramatically”, Andrew Meijers, a physical oceanographer at the British Antarctic Survey, told AFP……………………………

Despite its size and longevity, researchers said the fate of A23a was inevitable once it left Antarctic waters. Exposed to warmer seas and battered by waves, it started dissolving at speed.
https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/iceberg-a23a-antarctica-melting-b2819233.html

September 6, 2025 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | ANTARCTICA, climate change