The British research vessel Sir David Attenborough has encountered the world’s largest iceberg, A23a, the BBC reports.
A23a has an area of 3900 square meters. km, which is twice the size of London.
“The Sir David Attenborough met the iceberg on December 1, northeast of Joinville Island, at the edge of the Antarctic Peninsula. The ship was on its way to Signy Island.
Moving at a speed of 19 km/h, it took the ship several hours to pass along both sides of the iceberg. It is noted that the thickness of some parts of the iceberg can exceed 300 meters.
“The Sir David Attenborough collected water samples around A23a to investigate it, as large icebergs release mineral dust that was in their ice when they were part of glaciers as they melt.
This dust is a source of nutrients for organisms, such as phytoplankton, which form the basis of ocean food chains.
