During the last month, a new iceberg in Antarctica broke off and moved about 250 kilometers from its point of origin.
According to specialists, that initial point is near the southern end of the Jorge VI ice shelf along the base of the Antarctic Peninsula.
The journey of the new iceberg
This new iceberg, the A-84 with a particular potato-like shape, began to break off in late 2024. At that time, a crack was observed in the remnant of the Jorge VI ice shelf.
But the future block was still surrounded by sea ice at the entrance to Ronne, the bay that borders the southern end of the ice shelf.
The iceberg’s journey is visible in an animation released by the NASA Earth Observatory, composed of satellite images acquired between January 15 and February 15, 2025.
The images are from the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) instruments on the Terra and Aqua satellites of NASA, as well as from the VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) on the Suomi NPP satellite.
The speed of A-84
The Jorge VI ice shelf is unusual because it has a front both to the north and south. By January 2025, most of the seasonal sea ice had melted, and the ocean currents carried away the new iceberg.
“I am impressed by how quickly it has moved in the coastal current,” retired glaciologist Christopher Shuman stated in a press release. “It makes me wonder what is happening in the water beneath the ice shelf,” he added.
While iceberg detachment is a natural process on ice shelves, experts suggest that climate change could be accelerating these phenomena.
Factors such as global warming and warming water, combined with the loss of protective sea ice, could contribute to the collapse of the ice shelves. This, along with melting, is a process that has already occurred in several regions of the Antarctic Peninsula.
How an iceberg forms
Icebergs form when the edges of glaciers break off and slide into the ocean. In polar regions, snow accumulates year after year.
The weight of the upper layers compresses the lower layers, forming glacier ice. These “flow” or “creep” toward the ocean due to their weight.
Direct sunlight or increased air temperature makes the surface ice of the glacier more brittle. Storms, temperature changes, and tectonic movements cause icebergs to break off.
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