(NewsNation) — A massive iceberg is “sopping with blue meltwater and on the verge of complete disintegration,” NASA announced Thursday.
In a news release, NASA revealed that iceberg A-23A, among the largest and oldest ever tracked by scientists, could be just days or weeks away from disintegrating fully “as it drifts in the South Atlantic between the eastern tip of South America and South Georgia island.”
When the “megaberg” first detached from Antarctica in 1968, it was almost twice the size of Rhode Island, or approximately 1,544 square miles.
As of this month, estimates from the U.S. National Ice Center indicate the iceberg’s area has decreased to 456 square miles. Despite the reduction, the iceberg remains one of the largest in the ocean, with an area comparable to that of New York City.
“I’m incredibly grateful that we’ve had the satellite resources in place that have allowed us to track it and document its evolution so closely,” said Chris Shuman, a retired University of Maryland Baltimore County scientist in the release.
“A-23A faces the same fate as other Antarctic bergs, but its path has been remarkably long and eventful. It’s hard to believe it won’t be with us much longer.”