Iceberg '2.3 Times the Size of Jeju-do' Breaks Off in Antarctica

[Source= Bloomberg]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Bloomberg News reported on the 19th (local time) that an iceberg the size of 2.3 times Jeju Island has broken off from the Antarctic continent and is drifting in the Weddell Sea.

Bloomberg News stated that the iceberg named A-76 separated from the Ronne Ice Shelf on the western side of the Antarctic continent, and through satellite and aerial photos, it has been confirmed as the largest iceberg in the world currently.

The length of A-76's long side is about 170 km, and the short side is about 25 km, with an area of 4,320 km². This is 2.3 times the size of Jeju Island, which is 1,849 km². Bloomberg reported that A-76 is larger than Spain's Mallorca Island and New York's Long Island, and about half the size of Puerto Rico.

The separation of large icebergs is interpreted as a warning about global warming.

According to a research paper published earlier this month in the journal Nature, global sea levels have risen about 9 inches (approximately 22.86 cm) since 1880. About one-quarter of the cause of sea level rise is analyzed to be due to the melting of glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica. The paper involved 84 scientists from 15 countries. They pointed out that the current greenhouse gas reduction policy goals of each government are insufficient to curb sea level rise and that more ambitious plans are necessary.

Meanwhile, last year's largest iceberg, A-68A, once raised concerns about colliding with an island but broke into several pieces near South Georgia Island off South America. A-68 separated from the Larsen Ice Shelf in Antarctica in July 2017 and was later divided into several pieces named A, B, C, etc. At the time of separation in 2007, A-68 had an area of 5,800 km². The largest iceberg on record is B-15, which broke off from the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica in 2000, with an area of 11,000 km² at the time of separation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.