Video: They study how the world’s largest glacier continues its journey and affects the regions it passes through

He Glacier A23aHaving an area of ​​approx 3,990 square kilometersTwice the size LondonThree times the size of the city NYand a thickness 400 metersstarted Move towards the Antarctic Ocean, after 30 years of being motionless on the ocean floor. Recently, the British Antarctic Survey (PAS) revealed images of this ‘megaberg’ obtained by the research vessel RRS Sir David Attenborough.

RRS Sir David Attenborough, named after the renowned British environmentalist, was on a 10-day expedition as part of a project to investigate how Antarctic ecosystems and sea ice affect global carbon cycles and nutrients in the oceans. USA Today.

from the first Filchner Ice Shelf from 1986He A23a It remained anchored to the ocean floor until it was freed in late November. Wettal Sea towards open water. The Antarctic Circumpolar Current Probably heading towards the glacier ‘Avenue of Glaciers’directing it toward their common course near the island South Georgia.

“It was incredibly lucky exit route of the glacier Wettal Sea Cut directly into our planned path Appropriate equipment on board We have to seize this opportunity,” he told the British newspaper Daily Mail, Andrew MeijersChief Scientist RRS Sir David Attenborough and the leader Polar Ocean Science of B.A.S..

In addition to visually documenting A23a, the researchers collected samples that provide further understanding of the impact of climate change on the Southern Ocean and its ecosystems. Laura Taylor, a biogeochemist and member of the team, highlighted what is unknown about the specific influence that glaciers of different sizes and origins may have on ecological processes.

“We know that these giant glaciers can provide nutrients to the water they pass through, creating thriving ecosystems in otherwise less productive areas. We don’t know what effect certain glaciers, their size and their appearance, may have on this process. “Behind the glacier’s path, immediately adjacent And we took samples of the surface water of the ocean ahead,” he explained. Mail.

Water samples taken at various points around the glacier’s path will help determine what marine life might thrive in these waters and how the ice, like others, affects the carbon balance in the ocean and its relationship with the atmosphere. Global warming, rising water and air temperatures, is accelerating the erosion of the coasts of Antarctica and Greenland, increasing the rate of glacier calving.

Iceberg A76, the largest ever to break off from the Rhone Ice Shelf in Antarctica in May 2021, was initially split into three parts covering an area of ​​about 4,320 square kilometres.

Tracking this glacier is of particular interest to scientists, who track its trajectory and evolution as part of studies of the effects of climate change. Changes in the mass of floating ice such as A76 can have implications for sea levels and marine ecosystems, so monitoring them with satellites and other instruments is critical to understanding their potential impact.

It is important to highlight that Mechanics and the Ultimate Rule Glaciers are unpredictable because they depend Ocean currents, water temperature and atmospheric conditions. He A76 It continues to be a subject of study as it continues its course through water bodies Southern Hemisphere.