The world’s largest iceberg, A23a, is headed towards South Georgia Island in the South Atlantic Ocean. It’s larger than Rhode Island, at 1,500 square miles, and weighs more than a trillion tons. Plus it’s 1,300 feet thick, taller than the Empire State Building at its top floor (counting the spire and antenna, the Empire State Building sits at 1,454 feet).
A23a broke free from the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf in 1986, but it remained grounded on the sea floor until 2020. When it did break free, the iceberg started to drift north following the Antarctic Circumpolar Current before getting stuck in a Taylor Column ocean vortex in April of 2024.
In December 2024, A23a escaped the Taylor Column and continued its path north. It continues to travel that direction today, headed towards South Georgia Island. The iceberg will either collide with the island or split into smaller icebergs, disappearing into the water in the warmer currents further north.