Iceberg A68a has been on a slow journey toward cataclysm. The mass broke from the Antarctic peninsula’s Larsen C ice shelf in July 2017, sliding through the water for over two years https://reut.rs/3a1Dhze  via @ReutersGraphics 1/5

And then, like a speed skater, it was on its way. The current propelled the berg on a fast track through what scientists call 'iceberg alley,' a northeast route traveled by chunks of ice that break from the peninsula 2/5

It’s now headed straight for South Georgia Island, a British overseas territory in the southern Atlantic, where within days it could smash into the remote world teeming with wildlife 3/5

Scientists expect the iceberg to grind over the seabed, crushing the island’s underwater life. If the berg lodges at the island’s flank, it could remain a fixture for up to 10 years before the ice melts or breaks away, Tarling said 4/5

It could block some of the island’s 2 million penguins from reaching the waters to feed their young. The melting freshwater could also make the waters inhospitable for phytoplankton and other sea creatures that are crucial parts of the food chain https://reut.rs/3a1Dhze  5/5