A lost world the size of Maryland has been uncovered under a mile of Antarctic ice
Published by RawNews1st
A lost world the size of Maryland has been uncovered under a mile of Antarctic ice…
Hidden beneath a mile of ice in East Antarctica’s Wilkes Land, researchers have mapped a massive landscape that has been shrouded in darkness for over 34 million years.
Using advanced ice-penetrating radar and satellite imagery, scientists identified a 12,000-square-mile network of ancient river valleys, ridges, and plateaus. Unlike most glacial regions where moving ice grinds away the surface, the slow-moving ice in this sector has acted as a perfect time capsule, preserving the terrain exactly as it looked before the continent was sealed in its frozen tomb.
This discovery provides a rare geological snapshot of the late Eocene period, when Antarctica was still a lush, forested environment. By analyzing these ancient features, scientists hope to understand the dramatic climate transition that turned the continent from green to white. Future drilling missions aim to extract ancient soils and organic material from the buried valleys, offering critical clues about how the Antarctic ice sheet might respond to modern warming. As we uncover more of this hidden world, we gain a clearer picture of Earth’s past and a more urgent understanding of its future stability.
source: Jamieson, S. S. R., et al. An ancient river landscape preserved beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Nature Communications.
