Researchers say the encounter was a lucky break, allowing scientists to collect seawater samples around the giant iceberg as it drifted out of Antarctic waters.

The RRS Sir David Attenborough research vessel is said to be on its way to Antarctica for its first scientific mission. This ship passed the large iceberg A23a on December 1 near the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Three times the size of New York City, A23a remained stationary for more than three decades in the Weddell Sea after it broke away from Antarctica’s Filchner Ice Shelf in 1986. In recent months, the iceberg began drifting. drifted and has now moved into the Southern Ocean thanks to winds and ocean currents.

Andrew Meijers, senior scientist on the research vessel, said: “It was extremely fortunate that the iceberg’s path out of the Weddell Sea was directly in our path and we had the right team on board. ship to take advantage of this opportunity.

Laura Taylor, a scientist working on the ship, said the team sampled ocean surface water around the iceberg’s path to help determine what life could form around it as well as the iceberg. How icebergs and other similar factors impact carbon in the ocean.

“We know that these giant icebergs can provide nutrients to the waters they pass through, creating thriving ecosystems in areas. What we don’t know is that with particular icebergs, what difference their size and origin can make to that process,” the female scientist explained.

The RRS Sir David Attenborough is named after the British naturalist. The ship’s trip to Antarctica lasted for 10 days, as part of a £9 million project with the aim of investigating how the Antarctic ecosystem and sea ice drive the carbon and nutrient cycle in the global ocean. bridge.