On May 19, 2021, a giant iceberg split off from Antarctica and drifted to the Weddell Sea, which is about the size of Manhattan, but 70 times larger. The European Space Agency (ESA) stated that it is currently the world's biggest iceberg.

The ESA revealed In May 19, that satellites from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 program caught this iceberg on sight. The iceberg's surface area measures 1,668 square miles, with a length of 106 miles and with a width of 15 miles, according to NASA.

NASA additionally reported that this iceberg is named A-76, because It was the 76th iceberg that the US National Ice Center has recorded. And to give a sense of scale, the iceberg is the size of Rhode Island, which is somewhat larger than the Spanish island of Majorca, according to the ESA.

Ted Scambos, a glaciologist at the University of Colorado, stated, “Periodic calving of ice shelves is part of a natural cycle,” claiming that this phenomenon appears unrelated to climate change. 

However, many experts disagree and believe that the recent rapid collapse of numerous icebergs is undoubtedly connected to global warming, as these phenomena are becoming more common. 

Alex Brisbourne, a glaciologist at the British Antarctic Survey said “It’s big enough to influence the ocean, and the salinity of the ocean. Depending on the trajectory, it could be as significant as A-68a,” 

Researchers have been concerned for years about many icebergs in Antarctica that are starting to display evidence of instability as a result of climate warming, altering ocean and air currents.

By Alice Lee