Images
August 26, 2025 - A Clear-sky Glimpse of Iceberg A23A
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Clouds briefly parted over the Southern Ocean to allow a clear-sky peak at Iceberg A23A on August 19, 2025. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this true-color image of the big ‘berg and its fragments on that same day. At that time, A23A was continuing to slowly crumble as it floated roughly 100 miles (160 km) north of South Georgia Island.
Thousands of iceberg pieces litter the ocean surface near the main berg, creating a scene reminiscent of a dark starry night. Though these fragments appear small in the image, many measure at least a kilometer across and would pose a risk to ships.
Several fragments floating in the general area of A23A remain large enough to be monitored by the US National Ice Center (USNIC), including A23D, A23E, and A23F. Another fragment, A23C broke from A23A in mid-April 2025 but has melted or broken up and is now too small to be monitored. The largest fragment, A23F was calved from A23A on August 17. Satellite imagery on August 21 suggests that A23F had already broken into two pieces.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 8/19/2025
Resolutions:
1km (218.4 KB), 500m (508.2 KB), 250m (1 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Clouds briefly parted over the Southern Ocean to allow a clear-sky peak at Iceberg A23A on August 19, 2025. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this true-color image of the big ‘berg and its fragments on that same day. At that time, A23A was continuing to slowly crumble as it floated roughly 100 miles (160 km) north of South Georgia Island.
Thousands of iceberg pieces litter the ocean surface near the main berg, creating a scene reminiscent of a dark starry night. Though these fragments appear small in the image, many measure at least a kilometer across and would pose a risk to ships.
Several fragments floating in the general area of A23A remain large enough to be monitored by the US National Ice Center (USNIC), including A23D, A23E, and A23F. Another fragment, A23C broke from A23A in mid-April 2025 but has melted or broken up and is now too small to be monitored. The largest fragment, A23F was calved from A23A on August 17. Satellite imagery on August 21 suggests that A23F had already broken into two pieces.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 8/19/2025
Resolutions:
1km (218.4 KB), 500m (508.2 KB), 250m (1 MB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
