Iceberg A-23A. © NASA
After drifting for 40 years, the huge iceberg A-23A is finally breaking apart. Meltwater is soaking into the ice, turning parts of it blue as it slowly falls apart in the South Atlantic Ocean.
A-23A broke away from Antarctica in 1986, when Ronald Reagan was U.S. president and Top Gun was a hit movie. At that time, it was almost twice the size of Rhode Island. Today, it is much smaller and weaker.
Scientists estimate that in early January 2026, the iceberg covered about 1,182 square kilometers (456 square miles). That is far less than its original size of about 4,000 square kilometers.
A NASA satellite image taken on December 26, 2025, shows large pools of blue meltwater on the iceberg’s surface. These blue areas form as the ice melts and softens.
Iceberg A-23A. © NASA
According to scientist Ted Scambos from the University of Colorado Boulder, the blue, slushy areas are signs that the iceberg is actively breaking apart and nearing the end of its long life.
He said:
“You have the weight of the water sitting inside cracks in the ice and forcing them open.”
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