Overview
- Rare clear views from Copernicus Sentinel‑2 on December 20 and NASA Terra on December 26 capture bright blue meltwater ponds and surface cracking on A23a.
- ESA located the berg about 150 km northwest of South Georgia in the December 20 image, with the sea around it littered by hundreds of calved fragments.
- A23a now spans roughly 1,000 square kilometers after losing about three‑quarters of its area since 1986, with early January readings reported near 1,182 square kilometers.
- Scientists point to ramparts, leaking ice melange, and long underside grooves as signs of severe weakening driven by warmer seas and summer conditions in the South Atlantic.
- Researchers say complete breakup could occur within days to weeks, with fragments posing localized navigation risks, and iceberg D15a currently ranks as the largest at about 3,000 square kilometers.