Bloomberg News
@Bloomberg-News·2.8M subscribers·40.1K videos
Massive Ice Shelf That Broke Off Antarctica Starting to Disintegrate
Posted
December 24, 2020
Views
3,412
Likes
33
Comments
5
Engagement
December 24, 2020
3,412
33
5
1.11%
Every word spoken in this episode is indexed. Type any phrase to jump straight to the moment it was said.
Type any word or phrase that may have been spoken. Click a result to seek the player to that exact moment.
Try a name, a topic, or a quoted line
0:51Now PlayingRecent satellite imagery has suggested that one of the world's largest icebergs had, as predicted, grounded out on the oceanic shelf and begun to break up.
Utilising a routine patrol to the region, a Royal Air Force A400M from the British Forces South Atlantic Islands (BFSAI) was able to investigate further.
As the current around South Georgia spun iceberg A-68a, a large section broke off.
Approximately the size of a small island, the iceberg is significant enough for it to be labelled A-68d.
A-68d had calved from the northern part of its parent berg and is now roughly 30 nautical miles away from South Georgia.
With the backdrop of South Georgia's mountains, the new iceberg is an impressive, yet potentially hazardous, addition to the scenery.
The A400M sortie was able to capture the first imagery and video footage of A-68d.
The true nature of the threat of this iceberg to the wildlife haven of South Georgia is still being assessed, and will attract on-going interest from the Antarctic scientific community during its journey.
Further monitoring of A-68d will determine whether it is stationary on the shelf or continuing around the island.
"Following the news of the break-up of iceberg A68a, we focused the sortie to capture the first imagery of A68d. It was a genuine privilege to be the Captain of such an extraordinary sortie and for the crew and I to be involved in such a unique project. We hope that the spectacular photos will contribute greatly to the understanding of the dynamics at play," said Flight Lieutenant Stuart Coffey, A400M Captain.
The parent berg, A-68a continues on the Southern Ocean current on its easterly course.
Commenting on his observations of A-68a on this particular sortie, Corporal Philip Dye, BFSAI photographer, said: ''It was evident as we rounded the south-eastern corner of South Georgia that the amount of bergy bits and debris had increased significantly in comparison to the previous sorties.''
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Bloomberg Quicktake brings you live global news and original shows spanning business, technology, politics and culture. Make sense of the stories changing your business and your world.
To watch complete coverage on Bloomberg Quicktake 24/7, visit or watch on Apple TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Fire TV and Android TV on the Bloomberg app.
Have a story to tell? Fill out this survey for a chance to have it featured on Bloomberg Quicktake
Connect with us on…
Breaking News on YouTube
Sentinel Indexing in Progress
Metadata and chapters are available. Claim extraction for this episode is pending.
All video content is delivered via YouTube embedded players in accordance with the YouTube Terms of Service. Sentinel provides research tools that promote discovery and accountability across political media.
