Since last April, A23a has been orbiting just north of Antarctica, when in fact it should be following Earth’s strongest ocean current
Scientists have recently observed an impressive and at the same time remarkable event happening on the world’s largest iceberg, A23a.
For months now spins on the spot exactly north of Antarcticawhile in reality it should follow the strongest ocean current on Earth.
Scientists claim that the iceberg, which is twice the size of Greater London and more, has been captured on top of a huge spinning cylinder of water.
It’s a phenomenon oceanographers call it Taylor column – and it is possible that A23a will remain in this state for years.
“Usually you think of icebergs as transient, they break up and melt. But not this,” observed polarity expert Professor Mark Brandon. “A23a is the iceberg that just refuses to die,” the Open University researcher told BBC News.
Its longevity is well documented. It was released from the Antarctic coastline in 1986, but almost immediately became stuck in the mud of the Weddell Sea. For three decades it was a static “ice island”. He didn’t move. It wasn’t until 2020 that it began to float again and drift, slowly at first, before then shooting north to warmer regions.
In early April, the A23a entered the Antarctic Patrol Current (ACC) – the largest and most powerful ocean current on Earth – moving a hundred times more water around the world than all the Earth’s rivers combined. This would have the effect of pushing the nearly trillion ton iceberg and launching it into the South Atlantic. In contrast, A23a was not moved. It remains in place just north of the Orkney Islands, making a counterclockwise rotation of about 15 degrees per day. And this will result in the deterioration and finally its disappearance will be delayed.
A23a is not re-grounded. there are at least a thousand meters of water between its underside and the sea floor.
“The ocean is full of surprises and this dynamic feature is one of the cutest you’ll ever see,” said Professor Mike Meredith from the British Antarctic Survey.
“Taylor columns can also form in air; you see them in the movement of clouds over mountains” he added.
How much the iceberg will spin is unknown.
A23a is a perfect illustration once again of the importance of understanding the shape of the seafloor. Seamounts, canyons, and slopes have a profound effect on the direction and mixing of waters and the distribution of nutrients that drive biological activity in the ocean. And this influence also extends to the climate system: it is the mass movement of water that helps disperse heat energy around the world.
The behavior of A23a can be explained because the ocean floor just north of South Orkney is fairly well studied. This is not the case for much of the rest of the world.
Currently, only a quarter of the Earth’s sea floor has been mapped by the best modern standards.
Source: Skai
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