An enormous iceberg that is heading the island of South Georgia the southern Atlantic Ocean has broken up three large chunks. Scientists from NASA have been tracking the berg - dubbed A68a - several weeks. It actually calved the Larsen C ice shelf in 2017 and has been floating northwards ever . In recent weeks, a fast-moving stream water known as the Southern Antarctic Circumpolar Current Front has put the chunks a trajectory that means they could run aground the coast of South Georgia. Scientists say the three fragments are roughly 2,600 square kilometres size. The submerged part of one chunk is 106 metres its thickest point.
The sheer bulk the three iceberg chunks poses a serious threat to the wildlife South Georgia. There could be an environmental catastrophe waiting to happen. If the three mini icebergs collide the seabed, they could obstruct penguins and seals foraging for fish. They could also block the route between penguin colonies and their feeding grounds the breeding season. Scientists worry the underside the fragments could grind the seabed South Georgia and disrupt delicate underwater ecosystems. This could be exacerbated the introduction a mass fresh water to the ecosystems as the stationary fragments melt the summer months.
