For a long time it was considered one of the oldest and largest icebergs in the world. Now the iceberg designated A23a is collapsing and could disappear entirely within just a few weeks.

"The water is far too warm for it to survive," said Andrew Meijers of the British research organisation British Antarctic Survey (BAS) to the news agency AFP. The iceberg A23a is melting continuously, said the researcher. He expects this to continue in the coming weeks, with the iceberg becoming "barely recognisable in a matter of weeks".

Just a few months ago, iceberg A23a weighed nearly one trillion tonnes and was roughly the size of the island of Mallorca. In recent weeks, enormous chunks totalling around 400 square kilometres have broken off. Smaller fragments of the iceberg, many of which were still large enough to pose a hazard to ships, were also drifting in its vicinity.

Broke off from Antarctica in 1986

A23a broke off from Antarctica in 1986, but quickly ran aground and remained stuck on the seabed for over 30 years…

Read more on science.orf.at and "King of the seas – Giant iceberg A23a crumbles towards its end after 40 years"