British scientists are currently monitoring two of the world’s biggest icebergs, fearing that they could soon hit shipping, fishing and wildlife. According to a BBC report, these massive frozen blocks which have broken away from Antarctica can take decades to melt and wither away.
Two icebergs that are being monitored by researchers are the A81, which is bigger than Delhi and the A76a, which is even larger. It is to be noted that the area of Delhi is 572 square miles (1,483 sq km). A81 broke away from the Brunt Ice Shelf at the end of January and has just been photographed aerially for the most time.
Meanwhile, the A76a iceberg which originated from the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf in May 2021, is currently being carried by currents and winds towards the Falklands and South Georgia.
Speaking of the A76a iceberg, professor Geraint Tarling told BBC, ”It was directly in our path as we sailed home so we took 24 hours out to go around it. We got in quite close in some places and had a really good view of it. We collected water from around the berg using special non-contaminated pipes under the ship, so we’ve got lots of samples to study.”
Scientists fear that the icebergs while melting down, will produce huge volumes of fresh water into the sea, which can make it difficult for few organisms to function. The melt will also release the mineral dust which was incorporated into the ice when it was connected to the glacier scraping along Antarctica’s rock bed.
Dr Mark Belchier, the director of fisheries and environment with the government for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, also expressed his concerns about the potential impact on fisheries operations during the winter months.
“If it does become grounded, our major concern is a break-up and the impact of (smaller) icebergs on vessel movements in the area,” Dr Belchier explained.
“Although the tourist season is coming to an end, our fisheries operate during the winter months so it may impact their operations. It does have the potential to cause localised issues for some of our wildlife, although that’s likely to be less of an issue if it breaks up over winter when most animals can forage over greater distances and don’t have to keep returning to land to feed young – or have moved away from the island completely”, Dr Belchier added.
