World's largest iceberg on the move again
AFP, Christchurch
The threat of sea access being blocked to US and New Zealand bases in Antarctica may have receded after the world's largest iceberg broke free from the McMurdo Sound sea bed last month, New Zealand Antarctic officials said. Iceberg B-15A -- equivalent in size to Luxembourg -- has started moving again into deeper water after becoming stuck in relatively shallow seas in January. The previous position of the iceberg had caused a build up of sea ice in McMurdo Sound, threatening access by US ice-breaking ships to New Zealand's Scott Base and the nearby US McMurdo Sound base. Antarctica New Zealand Chief Executive Lou Sanson said staff were watching the situation with interest but, after past experiences, were making no predictions about the massive iceberg's likely course. "We know very little about what makes this thing tick. Every time someone has made a prediction about it, they've been proved wrong," Sanson said.
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