The world's oldest iceberg has melted and turned into a pond.

 

The world's oldest iceberg 

The world's oldest iceberg has melted and turned into a pond.

The world's largest iceberg has turned into a pond after forty years of melting, as a consequence of the severe climate change affecting the world, which is expected to lead to many environmental disasters, including the disappearance of this iceberg.

According to a report published by the British newspaper Metro, which was based on satellite images, the ice mass, named (A-23A), broke off from the Felchner Ice Shelf in Antarctica in 1986, and for many years remained the largest in the world, but it finally ended up almost completely melting.

The report, which was reviewed by Al-Arabiya.net, states that the journey of this iceberg ended in the South Atlantic Ocean in early April 2026, a few months before the fortieth anniversary of its formation.

Satellite images tracked its formation in the Weddell Sea until its disintegration, as it drifted more than 2,300 kilometers north into the warm waters near South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, where it quickly melted, cracked, and shrank.
A-23A's long survival was due to its entrapment on the ocean floor where temperatures were low enough to preserve it. However, in its final months, this iceberg experienced widespread melting and disintegration.

By late March 2026, scientists estimated that it had shrunk to just over 170 square kilometers, a fraction of the more than 6,000 square kilometers it covered in 2020 when it was still stuck off the coast of Antarctica.

Dark blue pools of meltwater formed on its surface, weakening its structure and possibly contributing to its collapse. Clouds obscured some of its final moments from satellites.
"In recent weeks I've noticed how nature seems to be covering the dying iceberg with a blanket of clouds, as if trying to give it some privacy at this stage," says Ian Lesser of the Met Office.

However, there were enough observations to capture glimpses of its eventual disintegration, as well as the many stages of its long and winding journey.
In recent years, a growing fleet of satellites has provided unprecedented details, from the iceberg's changing shape to its impact on surrounding marine ecosystems. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station have also captured close-up images of the iceberg.

Christopher Schumann, a former professor at the University of Maryland, says: "The technology that enables us to tell the stories of icebergs is the fruit of the efforts of engineers and the funding that put critical sensors into orbit to collect and make this data available."

He adds: "Over time, these efforts have allowed us to understand the general patterns of iceberg movement around Antarctica, particularly in the last few decades."
Despite decades of observation, scientists say many questions remain about how icebergs move and break apart.

Researchers continue to study the role of ocean currents, seafloor topography, and swirling water columns in determining iceberg trajectories.
The small fragments that break off from giant icebergs are a major concern, as they pose a danger to maritime navigation and are difficult to track.