Giant iceberg releases 152 billion tons of fresh water around remote Atlantic island

The image is from the British Antarctic Survey.

A study published earlier this month found that the A68a glacier, which used to be the largest on the planet, released over 150 billion tons of fresh water close to the island of South Georgia.

A68a broke off of the ice shelf in the middle of the ocean in the year 2017. After floating around the Weddell Sea close to Antarctica, the largest iceberg in the world made its way across the Drake Passage between southern South America and the northern reaches of Antarctica. Researchers were concerned that it would disrupt wildlife in the remote region when it approached the southern Atlantic island of South Georgia in December 2020.

The European Space Agency has an image on their website.

A new study shows that the huge ice cube had a big effect on the environment. Between 2020 and 2021, A68a melted rapidly as it encountered warmer water in the Drake Passage. According to the British Antarctic Survey, there is no evidence that the part of the iceberg beneath the water's surface will run aground. The giant pulse of fresh water released by the glacier may still have an impact on the South Georgia environment.

The lead author of the study says that the next step is to figure out what the impact was. A68a's route across the Drake Passage could help researchers learn more about future Icebergs and how they influence the polar oceans.

Climate change is expected to cause ice shelf collapse, which will lead to more big icebergs breaking off in the future.