Latest news with #WilkesLand
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.'
Daily Mail
12-06-2025
- Science
- Daily Mail
Lost ancient world preserved under ice discovered in Antarctica: 'It's a time capsule'
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.'
News.com.au
10-05-2025
- Science
- News.com.au
World reacts to shock development in Antarctica: ‘Oh my god!'
Social media has erupted into debate after stunning findings revealed that the Antarctic Ice Sheet had gone through record-breaking growth after decades of loss. In what seems like music to the ears of climate sceptics who have long derided doom-and-gloom predictions, a study published in Science China Earth Sciences found that between 2021 and 2023 the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) grew by an unprecedented amount. The report says that between 2021 and 2023, the ice sheet grew by almost 108 gigatons (or 108 billion metric tons) of ice per year. The reason for the rise is reportedly due to an unusual increase in precipitation, particularly in East Antarctica, leading to an accumulation of snow and ice. To put it in perspective, between 2002 and 2010, the AIS lost mass at a rate of almost 74 gigatons a year, resulting in a 0.2mm per year global sea-level rise. Between 2011 and 2020, that rose to more than 142 gigatons a year, a sea-level rise of 0.39mm per year. But the recent increase in ice has seen a 0.30mm offset between 2021-2023. In the Wilkes Land–Queen Mary Land region of Antarctica, four major glaciers — Totten, Moscow University, Denman and Vincennes Bay — had been losing the most mass. Cosmos reported that Vincennes Bay and Denham had suffered 'intense' losses, suffering about 72.5 per cent surface melt and 27.5 per cent ice loss according Dr Wei Wang of Shanghai's Tonji University. But between 2021 and 2023, this area had received the most mass gain. This is important considering those glaciers are among the most vulnerable on the continent and that Antarctica holds around half of the freshwater on Earth. However, for those believing it may be the end of global warming, scientist warn that this may not signal a long-term trend. Internet runs wild with finding: 'Oh my god' Despite there being a bit more to the story, the promising headline was enough for the internet to run with the findings. X user Collin Rugg, who has 1.8m followers on the platform, shared the news on his account, writing that it was 'crazy'. He also included a line tempering the findings, saying: 'Scientists say much of the gains are linked to precipitation patterns, which could be temporary.' But his comments quickly went nuts. Self-described 'populist Republican' and founder of The Loud Majority podcast Kevin Smith replied: 'So Al Gore was wrong again??? Is climate change over?' Canadian-American venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya commented: 'Oh my god! All the protests and virtue signalling worked!!!' January 6 rioter Derrick Evans added: 'Poor Greta will have to come up with a new scam.' Founder and Executive Director of Power The Future Daniel Turner claimed the story was proof you should 'never believe a climate alarmist'. And this is just the tip of the metaphorical iceberg. There were plenty more who hit out at the news, but others put it in context. Crypto journalist Laura Shin suggested: 'Wouldn't it be because of Covid? People were flying and driving less, so emissions were down?' Others pointed out that it was a 'temporary' and 'anomalous' precipitation accumulation and that it had been trending down for over 20 years. Professor at the University of Ottawa Ryan Katz-Rosene, PhD also tried to put it in context, showing a graph of how the ice sheet had fared since the 1980s. Yes, there was a record -breaking mass gain for the Antarctic ice sheet from 2021 to 2023, thanks to increased precipitation in East Antarctica. This is what it looks like in contextðŸ'‡ (h/t @Marcusgibson) — Ryan Katz-Rosene, PhD (@ryankatzrosene) May 5, 2025 Two-thirds of the world's freshwater is held between Antarctica and Greenland, with NASA finding that Greenland is declining at twice the rate of Antarctica — and there was no bounce back Greenland, which has been losing ice at a reasonably steady rate since 2002. This data is from NASA's GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) mission — which ended in June 2017 — and GRACE Follow-On mission — which began in June 2018. Both missions have flown spacecraft around the Earth to study changes to the planet's waters, ice sheets and solid Earth. On average between 2002 and now, the Antarctic has lost an average of 136 gigatons per year, while Greenland is losing approximately 267 gigatons per year. Thanks to the growth between 2021-2023, current levels in 2025 are not as low as they were in January 2021, but also not by much.
