Washington, United States

The world’s largest iceberg also known as A23a, formerly a part of Antarctica, is currently in the midst of floating away from the continent, and has been in the news for the past couple of months

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This time around photographers aboard a vessel run by the company EYOS Expeditions, on Sunday (Jan 14) managed to capture the iceberg’s erosion which has led to the sculpting of dramatic features including massive arches and caves.

‘Constant state of erosion’

“We saw waves, a good 3m or 4m high, smashing into the berg,” expedition leader Ian Strachan told BBC. 

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He added, “These were creating cascades of ice – a constant state of erosion.” 

The images also show deep surface cracks and hollowed-out caves as the world’s largest iceberg is slowly eroding due to the milder air and warmer ocean temperatures as it moves away from the White Continent. 

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(Photo credit: EYOS Expeditions/Ian Strachan)

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(Photo credit: EYOS Expeditions/Richard Sidey)

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(Photo credit: Rob Suisted/naturespic.com)

The expedition team which is near the world’s largest iceberg, likely in the final months of its existence,  witnessed chunks of the iceberg break off into the sea, a company spokesman told CNN.

About A23a’s drift

A23a is almost 4,000 sq km in area – more than twice the size of Greater London and over three times the size of Los Angeles – and 400 metres thick. 

WATCH | A23a: World's biggest Iceberg to cross Northern tip of Antarctic peninsula

When it split from Antarctica in 1986, it had a Soviet research base on it prompting them to send an expedition to the iceberg thinking they were about to lose the base and all the equipment.

However, A23a, after detaching itself from Antarctica, got ‘grounded’ in the Weddell Sea and after four decades or so began moving again last year.

ALSO READ | World's largest iceberg, bigger than Greater London, is moving away from Antarctica

The movement of A23a has quickened in recent months due to winds and currents. It is predicted that it’ll stop towards the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean near an island named South Georgia.

(With inputs from agencies)