File:Icebergs in the Southern Atlantic Ocean (MODIS).jpg

English: On October 19, 2023, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of icebergs floating in the South Atlantic Ocean northeast of South Georgia Island.

Many of the largest ‘bergs visible in this image are splintered fragments of A-76, which was the largest iceberg floating anywhere in the world in May 2021 when it calved off the Ronne Ice Shelf in Antarctica. That massive ‘berg has given rise to 13 named icebergs. The first three, A-76A, A-76B, and A-76C broke from A-76 shortly after it calved and then, in late April 2023, A-76D also splintered from A-76. By May 12, 2023, A-76A had fragmented to form 5 new icebergs, which were called A-76E, A76-F, A76-G, A76-H, and A76-I. A few weeks later, the US National Ice Center confirmed iceberg A-76J calved from A-76F and icebergs A-76K and A-76L calved from A-76A. A-76A split one more time, creating A-76M.

As these ‘bergs continue drifting northward into the relatively warm South Atlantic Ocean they will continue to break into smaller pieces and eventually melt. To be considered an “iceberg”, the height of the ice must be greater than 16 feet above sea level and the thickness must be 98-164 feet and the ice must cover an area of at least 5,382 feet, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). There are smaller pieces of ice known as “bergy bits” and “growlers.”

According to NOAA, “Bergy bits and growlers can originate from glaciers or shelf ice and may also be the result of a large iceberg that has broken up. A bergy bit is a medium to large fragment of ice. Its height is generally greater than three feet but less than 16 feet above sea level and its area is normally about 1,076-3,229 square feet. Growlers are smaller fragments of ice and are roughly the size of a truck or grand piano. They extend less than three feet above the sea surface and occupy an area of about 215 square feet.”