Just when you thought all the exciting things in Antarctica involved penguins and people falling into snow, along comes A23a, the world’s largest iceberg, glacially drifting its way back into the spotlight after nearly four decades of loitering near the coast like a guest who arrived in 1986 and simply never took the hint. Measuring in at about 1,500 square miles, which for comparison is roughly ten times the size of New York City or approximately five thousand times the size of your attention span, A23a is not only large, it is now officially mobile.
The iceberg originally broke off from the Filchner–Ronne Ice Shelf back when the Cold War was still in fashion and Top Gun featured a much younger Tom Cruise. Since then, it has largely lounged around the Antarctic coastline, held in place by the icy equivalent of inertia. However, recent satellite observations have confirmed that the behemoth has finally decided to take a somewhat leisurely voyage northward, floating through a region ominously named ‘Iceberg Alley’ which, disappointingly, lacks any rollercoasters or snack vendors.
This unexpected burst of wanderlust is thought to be due to changes in wind and ocean currents, prompting scientists to keep a watchful eye as A23a sails along. As one might expect, this much frozen real estate on the move has implications for ecosystems, shipping routes, and possibly confused penguins.
Of course, the odds of A23a crashing into your beach vacation in the Bahamas remain at precisely zero, but its path will be closely monitored by scientists wielding satellite maps, oceanographic data, and presumably a reasonable amount of scientific excitement barely disguised as professionalism.
“It’s behaving like a normal iceberg,” said British Antarctic Survey glaciologist Oliver Marsh, offering the sort of deeply measured thrill one expects from a man who spends his time studying frozen water masses the size of counties.
So as A23a continues on its frozen odyssey into slightly less frigid waters, glaciologists will chart its every subtle shiver and shift, while the rest of us politely nod and pretend we always knew icebergs could wander for 37 years without getting anywhere interesting.
Turns out even Antarctica’s icebergs eventually need a change of scenery.