Iceberg A-68 - Wikipedia

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2021-08-17 22:00:08

Iceberg A-68 was a giant tabular iceberg adrift in the South Atlantic, having calved from Antarctica's Larsen C ice shelf in July 2017.[1][2][3] By 16 April 2021 no significant fragments remained.[4]

With a surface area of 5,800 square kilometres (2200 sq. mi.), twice the size of Luxembourg and larger than Delaware,[5] it was one of the largest recorded icebergs, the largest being B-15 which measured 11,000 square kilometres (4250 sq. mi.) before breaking up. The calving of A-68 reduced the overall size of the Larsen C shelf by 12 percent.[5][6]

Historical data shows that many icebergs that break off from the Antarctic Peninsula reach South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.[7]

The name "A-68" was assigned by the US National Ice Center. It broke into parts with the mother berg dubbed A-68A . The larger child icebergs were designated in order of birthing, as A-68B , A-68C , A-68D , A-68E , A-68F , and in January 2021, splitting almost in half to birth A-68G . On January 30, Iceberg A-68A broke into other icebergs called A-68H , A-68I , A-68J , A-68K , A-68L , A-68M .