NASA Satellite Captures Melting of 40-Year-Old Antarctic Iceberg with Blue Meltwater Ponds

A 40-year-old Antarctic iceberg, older than the Space Shuttle program and Chernobyl disaster, is now fracturing as blue meltwater ponds spread across its surface.

Iceberg A-23A, calved in 1986, is currently disintegrating in the South Atlantic as observed by NASA's Terra satellite on Dec. 26, 2025. The aquamarine meltwater ponds and fractured ice surrounding the iceberg indicate potential structural instability.

An astronaut aboard the International Space Station captured a closer view using a Nikon Z9 camera, a high-performance mirrorless model not previously mentioned in NASA's documentation of this iceberg.

Satellite imagery and meltwater pond analysis are critical for understanding how large ice slabs break apart and influence ocean circulation patterns. Climate change is accelerating the breakup of icebergs like A-23A, which can alter marine ecosystems by injecting cold freshwater and upwelling nutrients.