A23a: Biography of an iceberg
About this episode
The episode explores the life and impact of the A23a iceberg, the largest iceberg in the world for nearly four decades, through the insights of glaciologist Dr. Catherine Walker.
Forty years ago, an iceberg broke away from the Antarctic ice shelf. But this was no ordinary iceberg. A colossal chunk of ice which covered an area twice the size of London, it was as deep as the Empire State building is high and it weighed a trillion tonnes. For nearly four decades A23a was the world’s largest iceberg. Glaciologist Dr. Catherine Walker tells the story of A23a from its origins, its ice being laid down deep in the Antarctic over millennia, through to its final chapter - shrinking, melting and feeding the ocean from which it came. Catherine talks to glaciologists who study the vast cracks which propagate across the Antarctic ice shelf and to scientists who have seen A23a up close and followed its journey and its impact as it released a trillion tonnes of fresh water and nutrients into the marine environment.
People in this episode
Guest: Dr. Catherine Walker
Topics covered
- icebergs
- climate change
- glaciology
- Antarctic research
- environmental impact
Keywords
- A23a
- iceberg
- Antarctic ice shelf
- glaciologist
- climate change
- fresh water
- nutrients
- melting
- environment
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Antarctic, London, Empire State building, marine environment
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