Latest news with #EastAntarctica
Sustainability Times
4 days ago
- Science
- Sustainability Times
'This Proves We've Been Lied To': Alien-Like World Discovered Beneath Antarctica Fuels Explosive Rift Between Scientists and Truth-Seekers
IN A NUTSHELL 🌍 Scientists have discovered ancient, river-carved landscapes hidden beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. hidden beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. 🧊 These preserved surfaces act as natural barriers, influencing the flow of glaciers and potentially moderating ice loss. act as natural barriers, influencing the flow of glaciers and potentially moderating ice loss. 🔬 The research, led by Durham University, utilized radar data to map these features, revealing their vast extent and impact on ice dynamics. to map these features, revealing their vast extent and impact on ice dynamics. 🌡️ Understanding these landscapes is crucial for improving predictive models of future sea-level rise in response to climate change. Recent discoveries beneath the vast, icy expanse of Antarctica have uncovered a hidden world that could reshape our understanding of ice flow dynamics and future sea-level predictions. A team of researchers from Durham University and other global institutions has identified ancient landscapes beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. These landscapes, shaped by rivers millions of years ago, are now influencing the movement of glaciers, potentially altering how we forecast ice loss and its impact on global sea levels. This groundbreaking research offers a new lens through which to observe the frozen continent's past and its implications for our warming world. Revealing the Ancient River-Carved Surfaces The ancient landscapes discovered beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet extend over an impressive 2,175-mile stretch along the continent's coast. These flat surfaces, believed to have been sculpted by rivers before Antarctica became ice-covered around 34 million years ago, now lie buried under the ice. The research team utilized radar data to map these features, revealing their vast expanse and intricate details. What makes these surfaces so significant is their influence on current glacier flow. While deep troughs guide the movement of fast-flowing glaciers, the flat areas act as natural barriers, slowing down the ice flow. This discovery suggests that these surfaces could play a crucial role in moderating ice loss, providing new insights into predicting future changes in sea levels. Incorporating these findings into predictive models can enhance our understanding of how the East Antarctic Ice Sheet may respond to climate change, offering a more accurate assessment of potential sea-level rises. 'This Sensor Sees the Unseeable': NASA's Quantum Gravity Tech Set to Revolutionize Earth Monitoring With Unmatched Precision A Remarkably Preserved Landscape The preservation of these landscapes is nothing short of remarkable. For over 30 million years, these surfaces have remained largely undisturbed, suggesting that the ice sheet has protected rather than eroded the terrain beneath. Dr. Guy Paxman, the lead author of the study, highlights the enigmatic nature of this sub-ice terrain, noting that its preservation offers a unique glimpse into Earth's geological history. These flat surfaces, which span roughly 40% of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet's coastal region, provide critical insights into the dynamics of ice flow. Understanding their shape and geological features is key to improving our ability to forecast the ice sheet's behavior in response to different climate scenarios. This research not only unravels the mysteries of the past but also equips scientists with the knowledge needed to predict future changes more accurately. 'Humanity's Red Dawn Is Here': Scientists Claim Terraforming Mars Is Now Possible, Unveiling Astonishing Plans for This Bold New Frontier International Collaboration and Methodology This pioneering study is a testament to the power of international collaboration, involving experts from universities and research institutions across the globe, including the UK, Germany, and China. By pooling resources and expertise, the team was able to piece together the jigsaw puzzle of data to reveal the bigger picture of how these ancient landscapes formed and their impact on current ice dynamics. The methodology involved analyzing radar data to map the ice thickness and underlying features. By doing so, researchers could identify the flat surfaces and their distribution beneath the ice. This comprehensive approach not only deepens our understanding of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet but also sets the stage for further exploration. Future studies aim to drill through the ice to retrieve rock samples from these surfaces, providing a more detailed timeline of their history and helping to predict how the ice sheet will evolve in a warming world. 'This Jet Will Shatter Laws of Physics and Privacy': X-59 Sparks Outrage as NASA Pushes Supersonic Silence into Civilian Skies Implications for Climate Change and Sea-Level Rise The implications of these findings are far-reaching, particularly in the context of climate change and sea-level rise. If the East Antarctic Ice Sheet were to melt entirely, it could raise global sea levels by up to 170 feet. Understanding the role of these river-carved surfaces in moderating ice flow is crucial for developing accurate predictive models. As global temperatures rise, the stability of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet becomes increasingly uncertain. By incorporating the influence of these ancient landscapes into climate models, scientists can better predict how the ice sheet will respond to warming and the subsequent effects on global sea levels. This research is a critical step toward a more comprehensive understanding of Antarctica's role in the climate system and highlights the urgent need for continued exploration and study. The discovery of hidden landscapes beneath Antarctica's ice offers a new perspective on the continent's geological history and its implications for future sea-level changes. As researchers continue to explore these ancient terrains, the knowledge gained will be invaluable in shaping climate policy and mitigation strategies. How will this newfound understanding of Antarctica's past influence our approach to addressing the challenges of climate change in the coming decades? This article is based on verified sources and supported by editorial technologies. Did you like it? 4.6/5 (28)
Daily Mail
22-07-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
What lies beneath: Scientists make shocking discovery under the Antarctic Ice Sheet
It is the least explored continent in the world, famous for its harsh and remote environment. Now, scientists have made a shocking discovery lurking beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet. Researchers have discovered 332 hidden trenches known as submarine canyon networks carved deep into the ocean floor - five times more than previously thought. Some of these underwater trenches reach staggering depths of up to 13,000 feet (4,000m) - roughly as deep as Mont Blanc is tall. Scientists have found roughly 10,000 submarine canyons all over the world. And with just 27 per cent of the sea floor mapped in detail, there are likely to be many more waiting to be found. However, the researchers say those beneath Antarctica's ice are the largest and most impressive anywhere on the planet. David Amblas, of the University of Barcelona, says: 'The most spectacular of these are in East Antarctica, which is characterized by complex, branching canyon systems.' Scientists have made a shocking discovery lurking beneath Antarctica's Ice Sheet (pictured), and it could have big implications for global sea level increases The submarine canyons around Antarctica are so large because they are carved by a phenomenon known as turbidity currents. These are underwater avalanches of sediment and water, which flow at speeds up to 45 miles per hour down the steep slopes of the continental shelf, digging out deep channels as they pass. Dr Amblas says: 'Like those in the Arctic, Antarctic submarine canyons resemble canyons in other parts of the world. 'But they tend to be larger and deeper because of the prolonged action of polar ice and the immense volumes of sediment transported by glaciers to the continental shelf.' These vast canyons play a vital role in a number of important ocean processes. They transport nutrient-rich sediment from the coast to wider ocean, connect shallow and deep waters, and create habitats rich in biodiversity. However, despite being so important, these unique environments remain profoundly understudied - especially in remote, hard-to-reach locations like the Antarctic. In their paper, published in the journal Marine Geology, Dr Amblas and his co-author used the most complete and detailed map of the Antarctic to hunt for previously unnoticed canyons. By analysing the map with a semi-automated method for identifying canyons, the researchers found far more canyons beneath the ice than had previously been expected. Interestingly, these new maps revealed that there is a big difference between the canyons in different parts of the continent. Co-author Dr Riccardo Arosio, a marine geologist from University College Cork, told MailOnline: 'It has been very interesting to discover a striking difference between East and West Antarctic canyons, which had not been observed before.' Dr Arosio says that those in the East form 'long canyon-channel systems, and have more frequent U-shaped profiles'. Meanwhile, canyons in the West of the continent are 'shorter, steeper, and V-shaped'. This is likely because the canyons in the West have been carved by the water released by relatively recent melting of the ice sheet while those in the East are the product of a much longer process of glacial activity. The researchers say this discovery could have much wider implications for how we predict the impacts of climate change. The Antarctic canyons help exchange water between the deep ocean and the continental shelf. This allows cold, dense water formed near the ice sheet to sink into the deep ocean, and drive global ocean circulation currents that help keep the climate stable. At the same time, these canyons also bring warmer waters in from the open sea up to meet the floating ice shelves - driving the ice melt, which is weakening Antarctica's inland glaciers. By affecting how quickly water from the ice sheet enters the ocean, these channels have a direct impact on global sea level increases. However, the ocean models used by organisations such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) don't take the effects of these hidden canyons into account. Dr Arosio says: 'Omitting these local mechanisms limits the ability that models must predict changes in ocean and climate dynamics.' In the future, by gathering more high-resolution data in unmapped areas, the researchers expect to find even more submarine canyons beneath the ice. Properly understanding these canyons and how they affect the circulation of water around the poles could be key to accurately predicting the impacts of climate change. Antarctica's ice sheets contain 70% of world's fresh water - and sea levels would rise by 180ft if it melts Antarctica holds a huge amount of water. The three ice sheets that cover the continent contain around 70 per cent of our planet's fresh water - and these are all to warming air and oceans. If all the ice sheets were to melt due to global warming, Antarctica would raise global sea levels by at least 183ft (56m). Given their size, even small losses in the ice sheets could have global consequences. In addition to rising sea levels, meltwater would slow down the world's ocean circulation, while changing wind belts may affect the climate in the southern hemisphere. In February 2018, Nasa revealed El Niño events cause the Antarctic ice shelf to melt by up to ten inches (25 centimetres) every year. El Niño and La Niña are separate events that alter the water temperature of the Pacific ocean. The ocean periodically oscillates between warmer than average during El Niños and cooler than average during La Niñas. Using Nasa satellite imaging, researchers found that the oceanic phenomena cause Antarctic ice shelves to melt while also increasing snowfall. In March 2018, it was revealed that more of a giant France-sized glacier in Antarctica is floating on the ocean than previously thought.
Sky News
18-07-2025
- Science
- Sky News
Antarctica's oldest ice arrives in UK for analysis on climate shifts
Antarctica's oldest ice has arrived in the UK for analysis which scientists hope will reveal more about Earth's climate shifts. The ice was retrieved from depths of up to 2,800 metres at Little Dome C in East Antarctica as part of an international effort to "unlock the deepest secrets of Antarctica's ice". The ice cores - cylindrical tubes of ancient ice - will be analysed at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) in Cambridge, with the ultimate goal of reconstructing up to 1.5 million years of Earth's climate history, significantly extending the current ice core record of 800,000 years. The research is also expected to offer valuable context for predicting future climate change, Dr Liz Thomas, head of the ice cores team at the British Antarctic Survey, said. Over the next few years, the samples will be analysed by different labs across Europe to gain understanding of Earth's climate evolution and greenhouse gas concentrations. Dr Thomas said: "It's incredibly exciting to be part of this international effort to unlock the deepest secrets of Antarctica's ice. "The project is driven by a central scientific question: why did the planet's climate cycle shift roughly one million years ago from a 41,000-year to a 100,000-year phasing of glacial-interglacial cycles? "By extending the ice core record beyond this turning point, researchers hope to improve predictions of how Earth's climate may respond to future greenhouse gas increases." The ice was extracted as part of the Beyond EPICA - Oldest Ice project, which is funded by the European Commission and brings together researchers from 10 European countries and 12 institutions. "Our data will yield the first continuous reconstructions of key environmental indicators-including atmospheric temperatures, wind patterns, sea ice extent, and marine productivity-spanning the past 1.5 million years," Dr Thomas said. "This unprecedented ice core dataset will provide vital insights into the link between atmospheric CO₂ levels and climate during a previously uncharted period in Earth's history, offering valuable context for predicting future climate change."
ABC News
20-06-2025
- Science
- ABC News
Antarctic clouds and pristine air hold clues to climate model blind spots
From the deck of an enormous research ship, surrounded by icebergs, Chelsea Bekemeier releases a tethered balloon into the air. She's standing in temperatures well below freezing, stationed deep in the Southern Ocean, just off East Antarctica. It's about as far from civilisation as you can get. The closest city, Hobart, is 5,000 kilometres away. But for scientists like Ms Bekemeier, this remote part of the world represents a treasure trove. The Southern Ocean is known as the "engine room" for global weather and climate, yet it remains a big blind spot for climate data. Scientists from around the world are making the mammoth journey to this end of the Earth to try and fill in crucial gaps in knowledge and improve global climate and weather models. The journey, which she returned from last month, is not for the faint-hearted. It took Ms Bekemeier — who is based at Colorado State University — three flights spanning more than 24 hours just to get to Hobart. It is then another week of travel on board the Australian Antarctic Division's RSV Nuyina to reach Denman Glacier, one of the largest glaciers in East Antarctica. She spent nine weeks on board the massive icebreaker, specially designed to break through the ice and huge swells. The remote location and harsh environment are the very reasons research has been so limited in this part of the globe, especially in the lead-up to winter. "I was very nervous," Ms Bekemeier said. "They made it very clear to us after a year of medical testing, psychological testing, jumping through hoops, that you are in a remote region on a boat. "If you need help, we have two doctors, but you really cannot get out. "It takes a week if you're in good condition to get back to land." The scientists on board the research vessel were investigating a range of important subjects — from marine life to sea floor mapping and recent rapid ice loss. But for Ms Bekemeier, a climate scientist, it was all about the clouds. The balloon the researchers released was fitted with sensors to capture data from the inside of these clouds. Clouds are a crucial aspect of the Earth's climate system, acting to cool and warm it by reflecting sunlight and trapping heat, like a blanket. "Clouds are constantly doing this job of balancing the incoming sunlight," she said. "You can see that when you go outside on a hot day and the clouds roll in, and the temperature drops pretty rapidly. "Then at night, if it's really overcast, it actually feels warmer because at night they insulate the planet." Yet clouds are also the biggest source of uncertainty for scientists projecting climate change, particularly "mixed phase" clouds, which contain both ice and water. It's this type of cloud that Ms Bekemeier is trying to better understand. "The Southern Ocean is the cloudiest region on the planet," she said. Currently, climate models struggle to represent the ratio of ice to water inside the clouds over this region — something that has big ramifications for temperatures on the ground. "We really want to understand these clouds so that we can use them in the models to project future climate," Ms Bekemeier said. Making matters more complex is the region's uniquely fresh air. While clouds on land are influenced by pollutants and dust, the Southern Ocean has some of the most pristine air on the planet, meaning the make-up of its clouds is different. Clouds formed over the Southern Ocean can contain microscopic marine life — like fragments of phytoplankton and gases they release. Ms Bekemeier said understanding what goes into making clouds in this region was a crucial step in shedding light on one of the biggest blind spots in climate models. A bit closer to home, CSIRO research scientist Ruhi Humphries has recently returned from a separate research trip onboard the RV Investigator, which also ventured into the vast, icy waters of the Southern Ocean. He, too, is interested in the region's uniquely fresh air, not just for clouds but for what it can tell us about the impacts of human activity on the atmosphere. "In a city, you would have lots of different sources of pollution. So you've got your cars that are spewing out CO2 and particles, and all your industry." This clean air over the Southern Ocean gives scientists a better idea of the bigger picture of climate change, away from pollution. "It's what we call baseline air," he said. "If you are going on a diet, you need to know your before weight so you can figure out your after weight and how much you've lost. "And for climate change, if we want to understand our impact and how to mitigate that effectively, we need to know what the atmosphere looks like without that pollution. "So, we have to find a location on the planet, which is as clean as possible … so then we can understand what the impact of humans is." This data has been captured in north-west Tasmania, at the Kennaook/Cape Grim Baseline Air Pollution Station, for nearly 50 years. But now, Dr Humphries and his team have the opportunity to cross-check how fresh that air is with the use of state-of-the-art technology. "We've always assumed … that the air that we measured there is representative of that really distant Southern Ocean air," he said. "But now … we're taking the ship south-west, down into the Southern Ocean, to test how far Kennaook/Cape Grim is representative of that baseline air." According to both Dr Humphries and Ms Bekemeier, the research taking place in the Southern Ocean is a key part of understanding the impacts of climate change globally. "The Southern Ocean is vital to the future of our planet," Ms Bekemeier said. "Changes to this region will have impacts for the entire planet; impacts on the Antarctic circulations, impacts on the polar jet stream, impacts on climate around the world, impacts on weather in Australia." It's for this reason that both Ms Bekemeier and Dr Humphries say it's important the whole world works together, as part of a global endeavour to advance climate science. "We're part of global monitoring networks, and we're doing global climate models." For Ms Bekemeier, this hits particularly close to home. Her role on the Southern Ocean voyage was funded by the US National Science Foundation (NSF). The NSF has faced significant funding cuts this year under the Trump administration, with hundreds of research grants terminated. "I am really devastated to see what is happening to climate science and science in general in the United States and the gutting of the US Antarctic program," she said. "I'm grateful that we have colleagues that can continue this work because we might not be able to do it in our own country."
Daily Mail
12-06-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Ancient world discovered preserved beneath Antarctic ice
A vast ancient landscape, untouched for more than 34 million years, has been discovered buried beneath more than a mile of ice in East Antarctica. The hidden terrain lies in a remote region known as Wilkes Land, a part of East Antarctica roughly the size of Belgium and located deep inland, far from the coastline. Using satellite data and ice-penetrating radar, scientists revealed that this ancient world, now sealed under ice, once featured rivers, forests, and possibly even palm trees. In fact, pollen from palm trees has previously been found along the nearby Antarctic coast, providing striking evidence of a once-lush environment. Researchers estimate the buried landscape spans more than 12,000 square miles, about the size of Maryland. 'It's like uncovering a time capsule,' said Professor Stewart Jamieson, lead author of the study from Durham University. Tens of millions of years ago, as the continents gradually shifted, Antarctica drifted toward the South Pole. This movement helped form a powerful ocean current around the continent, isolating it from warmer waters. At the same time, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels dropped, cooling the planet. Together, these changes triggered the formation of massive ice sheets, transforming Antarctica into the frozen desert we know today. 'The land underneath the East Antarctic ice sheet is less well-known than the surface of Mars ,' said Stewart Jamieson, lead author of the study and a professor of geography at Durham University. 'We're investigating a small part of that landscape in more detail to see what it can tell us about the evolution of the landscape and the evolution of the ice sheet,' said professor Jamieson. Scientists have uncovered a dramatic ancient landscape buried beneath Antarctica's thick ice sheet, revealing towering ridges and deep valleys frozen in place for millions of years. The study identified three massive blocks of elevated ground, each measuring between 75 and 105 miles long and up to 53 miles wide, separated by valleys as wide as 25 miles and plunging nearly 3,900 feet deep. Unlike many glaciers that grind down the terrain beneath them, the ice in this part of East Antarctica is extremely cold and slow-moving, shifting less than 16 feet per year. This slow movement has preserved the landscape in remarkable detail. Scientists refer to this as a 'cold-based' ice sheet, meaning the ice is frozen to the ground and causes minimal erosion. 'It is remarkable that this landscape, hidden in plain sight for many years, can tell us so much about the early and long-term history of the East Antarctic ice sheet,' said Neil Ross, professor of environmental geophysics at Newcastle University and a co-author of the study. 'It also helps us understand how it might evolve in response to future climate change.' Researchers used satellite imagery to detect subtle surface bumps and ran computer models to trace how the landscape has shifted over time. Some areas of the buried terrain have risen by as much as 1,600 feet, slowly pushed upward by the sheer weight of overlying ice. The preserved terrain offers a rare window into Antarctica's deep past, long before ice claimed the continent. 'What we find is an ancient land surface that has not been eroded by the ice sheet, and instead it looks like it was created by rivers before the ice came along,' said Professor Jamieson. Back then, the region likely featured flowing rivers and dense forests, thriving in a temperate climate. As the ancient supercontinent Gondwana began to break apart, the shifting landmass created deep cracks and fissures, which likely split the high ground into distinct block before the first glaciers arrived. Over time, the climate cooled, and small glaciers formed, gradually carving the valleys deeper and sculpting the landscape into classic U-shaped formations typical of mountain glaciation. Roughly 14 million years ago, the expanding East Antarctic Ice Sheet engulfed the area in ice. Even during later warm periods, such as the mid-Pliocene, around 3 million years ago, the region remained frozen. Although surrounding ice may have partially melted during these warm spells, it was never enough to expose the ancient terrain. That's what makes this discovery so critical today, as Earth approaches carbon dioxide levels and temperatures not seen since those ice-free days. If global warming continues, scientists caution that parts of the ice sheet could eventually retreat again, though drilling through more than a mile of solid ice to reach this lost landscape would require substantial time, effort, and investment. 'We'll continue exploring the landscape, doing our best to fill in gaps where surveys don't exist,' Professor Jamieson said, 'and using that information to understand how the ice sheet and its underlying landscape have changed over their long history.'
