Latest news with #Meijers
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NASA image reveals shocking transformation of world's largest iceberg: 'Thousands of ... pieces litter the ocean's surface'
A massive slab of ice that has been drifting through Antarctic waters is crumbling into smaller pieces, and it's happening just off the coast of a wildlife refuge. According to Live Science, the breakup of iceberg A23a, which is visible via satellite, could have damaging effects on fragile marine ecosystems. A23a is currently the largest iceberg in the world, with a surface area of about 1,200 square miles. Since breaking off Antarctica's mainland in 1986, A23a has made its way toward the territory of South Georgia, becoming stuck about 60 miles off its coast, according to Live Science. South Georgia's shallow waters and weather are chipping away at the iceberg. Earlier this month, NASA's Aqua satellite found multiple broken pieces in the sea, along with a surface area that has decreased "considerably" since the iceberg got stuck. According to NASA, "Thousands of iceberg pieces litter the ocean surface near the main berg, creating a scene reminiscent of a dark starry night." Ice shelves sometimes break off naturally, forming icebergs that can last decades. But the typical formation and breaking patterns of ice shelves have accelerated. According to glaciers have been shrinking each year for 37 years. Scientists and experts attribute much of this phenomenon to rising temperatures from human activities. Rising temperatures supercharge extreme weather, causing hurricanes and storms to be more powerful and dangerous. Stronger storms often lead to changing sea levels and ocean flow patterns. Warmer weather can also increase water temperature. Together, these forces create a perfect recipe for icebergs to break apart. Here's the problem with ice melt: Its impact doesn't usually stay local. When massive icebergs like A23a break apart and melt, sea levels around the world can rise. Higher seas cause higher tides that push water into coastal neighborhoods, flooding roads, damaging homes, and contaminating water supplies. The shift in ocean patterns and temperatures can also disrupt fisheries and agriculture, affecting food supplies that people around the world rely on. Other animals could feel the effects, too. A23a is breaking off near a wildlife refuge that's home to numerous species. According to Oceanwide Expeditions, South Georgia is home to the one of the largest global populations of king penguins. An iceberg and its broken pieces invading their space could disrupt their ability to reach feeding sites, per Dr. Andrew Meijers, an oceanographer at British Antarctic Survey. However, Meijers adds that as long as A23a stays where it currently is, penguin populations shouldn't be affected. The underlying cause of rapid ice melt is rising temperatures from human activities, such as driving gas-powered vehicles and using polluting energy sources like coal and oil. Scientists and policymakers are focusing on cutting down on these drivers through climate agreements, like the Paris Agreement, and promoting cleaner energy alternatives, like solar and wind energy. Scientists also use satellites to monitor icebergs, tracking their changes over time to understand their effects on sea levels, wildlife habitats, and communities. Individuals can explore critical climate issues to learn how everyday choices, from using energy-efficient appliances to choosing to walk instead of driving, can lead to a healthier planet and help slow the retreat of vulnerable ice shelves. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Watch the world's largest iceberg run aground near remote island in South Atlantic Ocean
Newly released satellite footage shows the world's largest iceberg running aground near a remote island in the South Atlantic Ocean last month. The timelapse video, published by Colorado State University's Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere, shows the iceberg, called A23a, becoming stuck in shallow waters about 90 kilometers (roughly 56 miles) off the southwestern coast of South Georgia Island over the course of March. Slightly smaller than Rhode Island, A23a originally split from Antarctica's Filchner Ice Shelf in 1986 and then remained grounded on the seabed in the Weddell Sea for over 30 years, according to the British Antarctic Survey. It began drifting in 2020 after gradually melting for years, and its migration was accelerated by currents and winds sweeping it north towards warmer air and waters, the BBC reported last year. British Antarctic Survey oceanographer Dr. Andrew Meijers remarked that the iceberg running aground wouldn't 'significantly affect' the millions of animals that reside on South Georgia Island. There are also no permanent human settlements on the island, so humans won't be affected either; however, there are two research stations at King Edward Point and on the nearby Bird Island that have peak summer populations of 44 and 10, respectively. '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,' Dr. Meijers said. '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.' 'Well above normal' temperatures expected for Southern California this week 'It will be interesting to see what will happen now, [because] from a scientific perspective we are keen to see how the iceberg will affect the local ecosystem,' he continued. '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. We have several ongoing studies looking at exactly how 'megabergs' influence the ocean circulation, its chemistry, and the ecosystems they support.' As for whether or not A23a's history is linked to global warming, Dr. Meijers noted that iceberg activity is normal but increasing. 'Icebergs, including 'megabergs' like this one, are a completely normal part of the lifecycle of the Antarctic, and Greenland, ice sheets. They basically are pushed out into the ocean by the weight of continental ice behind, begin to float as ice shelves, and eventually break off as icebergs due to a combination of flexure by winds, waves, tides and ocean melting,' he explained. 'However, observations show that the ice shelves have lost around 6000 giga tonnes of their mass since the year 2000, which is roughly matched by an increase in straight up melt of the ice shelves and aligns with a measured mass loss of the grounded ice over Antarctica attributed to anthropogenic climate change.' South Georgia Island is a large body of land that is part of the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Iraqi News
09-03-2025
- Science
- Iraqi News
World's biggest iceberg runs aground off South Georgia
INA-sources The biggest iceberg in the world, named A23a, appears to have run aground after drifting around the Southern Ocean near Antarctica since 2020. Weighing nearly a trillion metric tonnes (1.1 trillion tons), A23a has come to a stop off the island of South Georgia, a British Overseas Territory in the southern Atlantic Ocean, according to a statement from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) published Tuesday. The iceberg spanned an area of 3,672 square kilometers (1,418 square miles) when measured in August 2024 – slightly smaller than Rhode Island and more than twice the size of London. It calved from the Filchner Ice Shelf in Antarctica in 1986 and then rested on the seabed in the Weddell Sea for more than 30 years. In 2020 it started to drift with the ocean currents, but in late 2024 it got stuck for months spinning around an undersea mountain, delaying its expected journey north. After it finally broke free, it was feared that A23a would head towards South Georgia and impede access to feeding grounds for seals and penguins that breed on the island. But these concerns have abated as the iceberg appears to be grounded on the continental shelf around 90 kilometers (56 miles) from shore. 'If the iceberg stays grounded, we don't expect it to significantly affect the local wildlife of South Georgia,' said Andrew Meijers, an oceanographer at the BAS, in the statement. On the contrary, its arrival could have some benefits for wildlife. '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,' he said. And although the iceberg appears to be maintaining its structure for now, in recent decades large icebergs that have taken this route 'soon break up, disperse and melt,' said Meijers. 'Now it's grounded, it is even more likely to break up due to the increased stresses, but this is practically impossible to predict,' he said in the statement. 'Large bergs have made it a long way north before – one got within 1000km of Perth Australia once – but they all inevitably break up and melt quickly after.' When A23a does eventually break up, the smaller icebergs it produces will pose a hazard to fishing and shipping operations as they are harder to detect and track than one megaberg, said Meijers. 'Discussions with fishing operators suggests that past large bergs have made some regions more or less off limits for fishing operations for some time due to the number of smaller – yet often more dangerous – bergy bits,' he said. Scientists have said that this particular iceberg probably broke away as part of the natural growth cycle of the ice shelf and not because of the fossil fuel-driven climate crisis. Source: CNN
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
World's largest iceberg runs aground before collision with sub-Antarctic island
The world's largest and oldest iceberg, A23a, has come to a halt less than 60 miles from the remote South Georgia Island in the South Atlantic, with surveyors warning that the dangers are far from over. The British Antarctic Survey reports that the massive iceberg originally broke free from Antarctica's ice shelf in 1986 but only began moving toward the island in 2020. NOAA's GOES East satellite captured imagery of the iceberg slowly drifting northeastward away from Antarctica and toward South Georgia Island, but in February, it ran aground southwest of the island. "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. 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," Dr. Andrew Meijers, an oceanographer at the British Antarctic Survey, said in a statement. Antarctica's 'Doomsday Glacier' Is Melting Away Differently Than Scientists First Thought Despite coming to a halt, A23a's future remains uncertain, as warm waters and waves are expected to gradually break the iceberg apart. The event is still expected to alter the marine environment but not as significantly as a full-blown collision, which has always been a distinct possibility. "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. We have several ongoing studies looking at exactly how 'megabergs' influence the ocean circulation, its chemistry, and the ecosystems they support," Meijers stated. According to NOAA, the island has an extensive population of penguins, seals and birds in what is considered a milder climate compared to the extremes faced at the South Pole. Due to the island's location about 1,700 miles off the coast of Antarctica, the territory has had several encounters with icebergs that have caused significant disruptions to wildlife. In 2004, an iceberg known as A-38B ran aground near the island's continental shelf, causing extensive hardships for marine life. World's Largest Iceberg On Possible Collision Course With Island In South Atlantic Ocean In addition to environmental impacts, researchers say the broken pieces of ice could pose significant risks to vessels, as the clumps of ice are more difficult to track. "Discussions with fishing operators suggest that past large bergs have made some regions more or less off-limits for fishing operations for some time due to the number of smaller - yet often more dangerous - bergy bits," Meijers stated. While events the size of A23a are rare, Meijers said that icebergs are a normal part of the lifecycle of the globe's ice sheets. Complexes of ice are a growing concern as warming ocean temperatures contribute to the increased calving of ice from around the poles. The U.S. National Ice Center constantly tracks dozens of icebergs that pose a threat to shipping routes around the waters of Antarctica, many of which are under observation by organizations such as the article source: World's largest iceberg runs aground before collision with sub-Antarctic island
CBC
06-03-2025
- Science
- CBC
World's biggest iceberg appears to have run aground near remote British island
The world's largest iceberg appears to have run aground off the coast of a remote British island home to millions of penguins and seals — potentially threatening local wildlife, but also providing an opportunity for research into such rare "megabergs." Known as A23a, the massive slab of ice — roughly the size of Rhode Island and weighing nearly a trillion tonnes — was first reported to be heading toward South Georgia months ago, sparking concerns that it could collide with the island and disrupt the balance for local wildlife. The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) said Tuesday that the iceberg had apparently struck the continental shelf that surrounds South Georgia, getting stuck roughly 73 kilometres from the island itself. Whether A23a will be stuck for an extended period — and what impact it could have on local wildlife — is still up in the air. "It will be interesting to see what will happen now," Andrew Meijers, an oceanographer with BAS, said Tuesday. The sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia is a British overseas territory that lies north of Antarctica and some 1,850 kilometres east of South America. It supports a tiny, non-permanent population of scientists and researchers, but is known best for its abundance of wildlife, including five million seals across four different species and 65 million birds across 30 different species. Among them are the wandering albatross, the largest flying bird in the world, and several types of penguins. One of the concerns among researchers is that the iceberg could block wildlife from their normal pathways to feeding sites, forcing them to travel longer distances and bring back less food to their young. But Meijers noted that icebergs store important micronutrients which are released when they melt, and can also stir up nutrients settled in deep water, potentially benefiting the local ecosystem. If this "towering wall" of ice stimulates ocean productivity, it could "boost populations of local predators like seals and penguins," he said. 40-year journey Running aground is the latest development in the dramatic, 40-year life of this ice giant. A23a broke off from Antarctica's Filchner Ice Shelf in 1986, but remained stuck on the seabed in the Weddell Sea for the next three decades. After breaking free in 2020 and riding ocean currents north past the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, A23a hit another snag: an oceanic vortex called a Taylor Column, which trapped it spinning in place for months on end. Since wriggling out of the vortex, A23a has been slowly spiralling toward South Georgia. The government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands said in a statement in January that it was "closely monitoring" A23a's progress, and that while shipping and fishing could be affected, "impacts on wildlife are likely to be localised and transient." Satellite imagery showed the iceberg approaching the continental shelf in late February, before it appeared to freeze in place as it ran aground, with no major movement visible since March 1. What could happen Donavan Tremblay, an ice specialist with Canada's Coast Guard, told CBC News that it was "very possible" A23a could start moving again as it's more exposed to storms near the island that could shake or break it. But "it could also stay there for a while," he said. Although icebergs of this size are relatively rare, this isn't the first time a megaberg has threatened South Georgia. In 2020, an iceberg called A68a — previously world's largest, and the sixth largest recorded iceberg of all time — split apart near the island after impacting the shelf. A 2022 study found that A68a released 152 gigatonnes of fresh water and nutrients into the ocean near South Georgia. This changed the salt concentration of the surface water enough for the effect to persist for more than two months after the iceberg's melt, according to a separate 2023 study. Scientists are still digging into the impact that this had on the local ecosystem — including on whales, seals and plankton levels — and A23a is helping. One focus Meijers highlighted is how the release of nutrients might help generate blooms of phytoplankton, and potentially increase the ocean's ability to capture more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Other scientists want to know what happened underneath A23a, which would have gouged huge scars into the seabed and potentially triggered underwater landslides, says Alex Normandeau, a research scientist with the Geological Survey of Canada. "What are the consequences on the marine geology?" he asked. "Because it affects the habitats that are there, where the iceberg is grounded, but it also affects sedimentary suspension and underwater processes." Icebergs splitting off from Antarctic ice sheets and drifting north is a regular part of the life cycle of ice in the Antarctic, but Meijers says data has shown that ice shelves have been losing more mass over the past 20 years — a development scientists attribute to climate change. "These are pressing and active areas of research at BAS and elsewhere," he said.
