Satellite Images Show World's Largest Iceberg A23a Nearing Complete Disintegration

The iceberg A23a, once the world's largest after breaking from Antarctica's Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf in 1986, has significantly shrunk from 4,170 sq km to about 506 sq km as of January 2024. Recent satellite images from China's Fengyun-3D and NASA show its accelerated disintegration due to hydrofracturing, meltwater accumulation, and rising temperatures. After drifting and getting temporarily stuck since 1986, A23a is now nearing complete disintegration amid warming Southern Hemisphere conditions.