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The gigantic A-68A iceberg has approached within 100 kilometers of San Pedro Island, or South Georgia, NASA reported.
Scientists estimate that the huge ice cap, which is now about 3,900 square kilometers, has reached the continental shelf area of the island, where the depths are about 76 meters. That way, it can run aground in place, altering the region’s climate and ecosystem for years to come, serving as an important sanctuary for penins and seals.
Previously, researchers speculated that if stopped near San Pedro Island, the A-68A could block the feeding routes of these animals and threaten the survival of their population. In addition, it would destroy the ecosystem of the seabed.
The iceberg has been adrift since 2017, when it broke away from the Larsen Ice Shelf, considered the hottest part of the continent. Although the process is natural, it has accelerated in recent years with global warming. Floating chunks of ice endanger the main shipping lanes of the Atlantic Ocean, warns NASA.
The San Pedro penguin population is estimated at tens of thousands and the seal population at six million. As for the protected waters near the island, they are home to more species than the Galpagos.
San Pedro Island, once a base for whalers, is now almost uninhabited. Its main establishment, Grytviken, does not have permanent residents. Although under the control of the United Kingdom, it is claimed by Argentina and was the scene of fighting in April 1982, during the Falklands War.
RT, Nasa, Twitter, ElUniversal, Youtube.
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