Environment

Iceberg dumped nearly 1 trillion tons of freshwater in the ocean.

What was once the biggest iceberg in the world released more than 167 billion tons of freshwater in three months and nearly 1 trillion tons in its lifespan, which could have profound effects on wildlife, scientists say.

The A68A iceberg was part of the Larsen-C Ice Shelf on the Antarctica peninsula before it broke off in July 2017. At the time, it was the biggest iceberg on Earth at 2,208 square miles, larger than the state of Delaware.

When the iceberg broke off, it began to drift across the Southern Ocean. In December 2020, the iceberg began to approach South Georgia island, about 1,300 miles off the Argentina coast. The island is home to wildlife including penguins and seals. Fortunately the iceberg broke up before hitting the seabed around the island.

The cold freshwater drifts with the oceans currents, so the mixture with the salty warm waters will release nutrients into the waters. Scientists believe that will change or produce new plankton in the area, which affects the local food chain. What that means for the environment in the long term is not known.

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