Iceberg A‑81 Slows Near South Georgia After Three‑Year Drift

After breaking free from the Brunt Ice Shelf in January 2023, Iceberg A‑81 drifted for more than three years along the Weddell Gyre, reaching the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula and then the Scotia Sea. By late October 2026 it approached the remote island of South Georgia, 2,300 km north‑northwest of its calving point. MODIS imagery from NASA’s Terra satellite shows the berg’s movement slowing noticeably and appearing to bump against the island’s underwater shelf. South Georgia has previously grounded icebergs, such as A‑23A in 2025, which later broke apart. The current slowdown suggests A‑81 may become grounded or fragment, prompting continued monitoring by scientists.