Covering nearly 600 km², the emergence of a new "ice cube" in Antarctica has been captured from space (video).

For decades, scientists have been monitoring icebergs breaking off from Antarctica and drifting into the ocean. Recently, researchers examined the ocean floor in the area known as the "Iceberg Alley" and made an unexpected discovery — the Antarctic ice cap actually formed 3 million years earlier than previously thought, reports Daily Mail.

Now, scientists have released a video documenting the birth of a brand new iceberg that split from the George VI Ice Shelf in Antarctica. It covers an astonishing area of 595 square kilometers, comparable to the size of Chicago. Stunning imagery of the iceberg, named A-84, was captured by NASA Earth Observatory, showcasing how it "breaks away" from the ice shelf along the Antarctic coastline.

The researchers presented an exciting animation where the massive ice block appears as a tiny cube. They note that the iceberg "was born" in mid-January, measuring approximately 30 kilometers in length and about 17 kilometers in width. However, it is not as massive as the largest iceberg in the world, known as A23a, which spans around 3,360 square kilometers.

Scientists are tracking the iceberg's movement and believe that A-84 may soon flip or capsize as it melts and disintegrates in the open ocean. It is known that as icebergs melt, they release nutrients into the water that promote the growth of microscopic plants called phytoplankton, which are the foundation of the Antarctic food chain.

At the same time, large icebergs pose a threat to ships as they break apart into smaller pieces. The researchers point out that their animation consists of 21 images taken from January 15 to February 15, although several days during this period were not included in the animation due to cloud cover.

The images were captured by the Suomi NPP meteorological satellite, operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as well as NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites. As seen in the animation, iceberg A-84 separates near the southern end of the ice shelf. In the time-lapse footage, it drifts along the Antarctic Peninsula — a part of the continent that juts out like a jagged tail pointing toward South America.

According to glaciologist Christopher Shuman from the University of Maryland, the video shows the iceberg drifting down the bay past Smiley Island, likely heading in a northwest direction toward the Southern Ocean.

NASA Earth Observatory stated that the iceberg has traveled about 250 kilometers from its point of origin within a month. Researchers were also impressed by how quickly the ice block moves in the coastal current.

It is worth noting that the George VI Ice Shelf is the second-largest ice shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula, covering approximately 24,000 square kilometers. It was only discovered in 1935 during a flight by American polar explorer Lincoln Ellsworth and was named in honor of the current British monarch.

Currently, the retreat is happening gradually, aided by the stability provided by its unique location, wedged between the Antarctic Peninsula and Alexander Island.