The largest iceberg in the world began to move after more than 30 years, during which it was blocked, the BBC writes. A23a, as it’s called, broke off the coast of Antarctica in 1986, but almost immediately ran aground in the Weddell Sea, essentially becoming an ice island.

With an area of ​​almost 4,000 square kilometers (about 20 times the size of Bucharest) and a thickness of about 400 m.

A23a broke off a few years ago from the Filchner Ice Shelf on the White Continent. At that time, a Soviet research station was located here.

The iceberg began to shrink in size so much that it lost traction and began to move under the influence of winds and currents. It is approaching the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula and is likely to enter the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, which will drop it into the South Atlantic along a path known as iceberg alley.

If it stabilizes in the South Georgia area, it could cause problems for the millions of seals, penguins and other seabirds that breed on the island. A large amount of A23a can disrupt the animals’ normal feeding pathways, preventing them from properly feeding their young.

Scientists will closely monitor the “road” A23a.