MSGID: 1:317/3 6474e84a
PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08
TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08
May 29, 2023 - Iceberg A76A Breaks Up

   Iceberg
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   When it first calved from Antarctica’s Ronne Ice Shelf in May 2021,
   Iceberg A-76 was the largest iceberg on the planet. Initially similar
   in size to Spanish island of Majorca, the massive berg quickly split
   into three smaller pieces. The largest of those pieces was a
   rectangular-shaped tabular iceberg which was named A-76A.

   By October 2022, A-76A had drifted nearly 1,200 miles (2,000 km)
   northward and had entered the Drake Passage. The passage is a turbulent
   body of water between South America’s Cape Horn and Antarctica’s South
   Shetland Islands. Icebergs passing through the Drake Passage often are
   carried quickly northward into warmer waters where they usually begin
   to melt.

   By April 28, 2023, the U.S. National Ice Center (USNIC) reported that a
   large chunk of ice had split off of A-76A, and they named that new
   iceberg A-76D. By mid-March, USNIC confirmed that additional breaks in
   A-76A had resulted in the formation of four more new icebergs. These
   icebergs, dubbed A-76E, A76-F, A76-G, A76-H, and A76-I, were first
   spotted by Dr. Klaus Strübing, former director and professor at the
   Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency of Germany (BSH), and Dr. Jan
   Lieser of Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology. The new icebergs were
   confirmed by USNIC Analysts using a MODIS image from May 12. First
   signs of the calving event were visible on MODIS imagery as early as
   May 8.

   The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board
   NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of the
   highly-fragmented A-76A on May 19. The shattered A-76A is the longest
   piece and located south of and just below the newly-calved bergs. The
   tip of South Georgia Island can be seen in the northeast.

   Image Facts
   Satellite:  Aqua
   Date Acquired: 5/19/2023
   Resolutions:  1km (163.6 KB),  500m (435.6 KB),  250m (315.5
   KB)
   Bands Used: 1,4,3
   Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2023-05-29
 
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