Iceberg A-76

In mid-May 2021, A-76, currently the world's largest floating iceberg, calved from the Filchner–Ronne Ice Shelf in Antarctica.[1][2][3]

Calving of A-76 and size comparison with the island Mallorca.

According to the news, the new iceberg, effectively a piece of floating ice shelf, detached from western side of the Ice Shelf. It now floats in the Weddell Sea. The iceberg is about 170 km long and 25 km wide, and is described as being "shaped like a giant ironing board". The size at calving was an estimated 4320 square km.

The new iceberg was first spotted by Keith Makinson, a polar oceanographer with the British Antarctic Survey in May 2021.[4]

By day 148,[5] the iceberg consists of three fragments, A-76a, A-76b, and A-76c.[6] The location of the respective fragments can be followed on this page: https://www.scp.byu.edu/current_icebergs.html.

References
  1. Fahy, Claire (2021-05-20). "Iceberg Splits From Antarctica, Becoming World's Largest". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-06-02.
  2. CNN news, CNN News (May 20, 2021). "World's largest iceberg breaks off from Antarctica".
  3. Vaughan, Adam. "World's largest iceberg has just broken off an Antarctic ice shelf". New Scientist.
  4. @keithmakinson1 (13 May 2021). "New giant #iceberg breaking away from the Ronne Ice Shelf" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  5. "Day of Year chart". Day of year site.
  6. Current* Antarctic large iceberg positions derived from ASCAT and OSCAT-2** (June 1, 2021). "Current* Antarctic large iceberg positions derived from ASCAT and OSCAT-2**". Current* Antarctic large iceberg positions.
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