LONDON (AP) — Britain’s polar analysis ship has crossed paths with the most important iceberg on the earth — a “fortunate” encounter that enabled scientists to gather seawater samples across the colossal berg because it drifts out of Antarctic waters, the British Antarctic Survey mentioned Monday.
The RRS Sir David Attenborough, which is on its solution to Antarctica for its first scientific mission, handed the mega iceberg referred to as the A23a on Friday close to the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula.
The iceberg — equal to 3 occasions the dimensions of New York Metropolis and greater than twice the dimensions of Larger London — had been grounded for greater than three many years within the Weddell Sea after it break up from the Antarctic’s Filchner Ice Shelf in 1986.
It started drifting in latest months, and has now moved into the Southern Ocean, helped by wind and ocean currents. Scientists say it’s now more likely to be swept alongside into “iceberg alley” — a typical route for icebergs to drift towards the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia.
“It’s extremely fortunate that the iceberg’s route out of the Weddell Sea sat instantly throughout our deliberate path, and that we had the best crew aboard to make the most of this chance,” mentioned Andrew Meijers, chief scientist aboard the analysis ship.
“We’re lucky that navigating A23a hasn’t had an influence on the tight timings for our science mission, and it’s superb to see this big berg in individual — it stretches so far as the attention can see,” he added.
Laura Taylor, a scientist engaged on the ship, mentioned the crew took samples of ocean floor waters across the iceberg’s route to assist decide what life may type round it and the way the iceberg and others prefer it influence carbon within the ocean.
“We all know that these large icebergs can present vitamins to the waters they move by, creating thriving ecosystems in in any other case much less productive areas. What we don’t know is what distinction explicit icebergs, their scale, and their origins could make to that course of,” she mentioned.
The RRS Sir David Attenborough, named after the British naturalist, is on a 10-day science journey that is a part of a 9-million-pound ($11.3 million) undertaking to analyze how Antarctic ecosystems and sea ice drive international ocean cycles of carbon and vitamins.
The British Antarctic Survey mentioned its findings will assist enhance understanding of how local weather change is affecting the Southern Ocean and the organisms that dwell there.
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