The World's Largest Iceberg has run Aground

The world’s largest iceberg appears to have run aground – some seven miles from a potentially fatal collision.

The grounding means the colossal iceberg will hopefully avoid colliding with South Georgia, as scientists had previously warned.

Iceberg A23a – more than twice the size of London and weighing almost a trillion tonnes – has been slowly drifting towards South Georgia since 2020, where many animals breed. According to the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), the UK’s national institute for Antarctic research, a collision could affect the archipelago’s large seal and penguin colonies.

For four days now, A23a has been stationary just over seven miles south of South Georgia, according to BAS, which monitors the ice mass via satellite.

– If the iceberg continues to stand still, we do not expect any major impact on local wildlife, says oceanographer Andrew Meijers.

– In the best case scenario, the grounding could even have positive effects, he says.

– Nutrients stirred up by the grounding and melting could increase food availability throughout the regional ecosystem, including for the penguins and seals.