Ancient Rivers Under Antarctica Could Slow Down Melting
A group led by researchers at the UK's University of Durham used radar to glimpse beneath the coast of East Antarctica. In a new study, they announced their findings: Ancient riverbeds beneath Antarctica control the behavior of the ice sheet above them.
Reconstructing ancient landscapes
It is crucial to understand how much, and how quickly, the East Antarctic Ice Sheet is going to melt as temperatures continue to rise. It's the largest of Antarctica's three ice sheets, and it contains enough water to raise the sea level by over 50 meters.
The behavior of an ice sheet depends on more than just surface conditions. The landmass hidden beneath the ice impacts how quickly it melts and where it collapses. To get an idea of what that hidden landscape looks like, researchers analyzed a series of radar scans covering 3,500km of East Antarctica.
The scans found what was once a coastal plain formed by fluvial erosion. Between 80 million years ago, when Antarctica divorced Australia, and 34 million years ago when it became covered in ice, rivers flowed across East Antarctica and into the sea. Those rivers carved out a smooth, flat floodplain all along the coast. Breaking up the plain are deep narrow troughs in the rock. These plains covered about 40% of the area they scanned.
This find confirms previous, fragmentary evidence for a very flat, even plain beneath the icy expanse.
Hopeful findings
This is good news for those of us who enjoy not being underwater. Computer programs modeling future climate behavior now have more data to work on. Before, as the study's lead author, Dr. Guy Paxton, said in a Durham press release, "The landscape hidden beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet is one of the most mysterious not just on Earth, but on any terrestrial planet in the solar system."
Understanding the terrain beneath the ice makes it much easier to understand how and where the ice will move. 'This in turn will help make it easier to predict how the East Antarctic Ice Sheet could affect sea levels.'
More than that, however, the ancient fluvial plains may be slowing down the melt. The study suggests that the flat plains may be acting as barriers to ice flow. Fast-moving glaciers pass through the deep channels, but the bulk of the ice, atop the plains, is moving much more slowly.
Ultimately (as they always do), researchers stressed the need for more investigation. Further studies would involve drilling all the way through the ice and taking samples of the rock below. So look forward to that.
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Medscape
a few seconds ago
- Medscape
Cannabis, Psychedelics Get High Marks for Eating Disorder
TOPLINE: Cannabis and psychedelics were rated as the most effective drugs for symptom relief by survey participants with eating disorders (EDs), including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder (BED). On the other hand, patients perceived prescription antidepressants as mainly providing benefits for overall mental health. METHODOLOGY: Researchers analyzed responses to the international online MED-FED survey between 2022 and 2023. The study included more than 6000 adults (mean age, 24.3 years; 94% women; 82% White) who self-reported an ED (62%) or disordered eating (38%) and were predominantly from Australia (30%), the UK (21%), and the US (18%). The highest percentage of ED type was anorexia nervosa (41%), bulimia nervosa (19%), and BED (11%). Additionally, 65% had comorbid depression. The survey included questions on recent (previous 12 months) use of prescription drugs, caffeine, alcohol, tobacco and nicotine, cannabis, psychedelics, prosocial or party drugs such as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and gamma-hydroxybutyric acid, stimulants, and opioids. Participants rated their agreement on a 5-point Likert scale regarding each drug's effects on ED symptoms, overall benefits for mental health, and unpleasant side effects. TAKEAWAY: Cannabis was used by 56% of participants, with its daily use being particularly high among those with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (odds ratio, 2.4; P < .001). Psilocybin and cannabis received the highest positive rating for relieving ED symptoms (mean rating, 0.50 for both), followed by lysergic acid diethylamide (mean rating, 0.3). Prescription antidepressants were rated effective for improving overall mental health but not for relieving ED symptoms, with the exceptions of lisdexamfetamine for BED (mean rating, 1.14) and fluoxetine for bulimia nervosa (mean rating, 0.50). Alcohol and amphetamines (mean rating, -0.52 for both) received the poorest ratings for symptom improvement. Unpleasant adverse effects were least likely to be reported with the use of lamotrigine (mean rating, -0.49), illicitly sourced diazepam (mean rating, -0.40), bupropion (mean rating, -0.29), and psilocybin (mean rating, -0.30). IN PRACTICE: 'These findings highlight an important pattern: with traditional medications often falling short in treating eating disorders directly, while many individuals are self-medicating with substances they perceive as helpful,' lead investigator Sarah-Catherine Rodan, the University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia, said in a press release. The results also suggest that 'more research, including large clinical trials, should be undertaken around the beneficial effects of cannabis and psychedelics for people with eating disorders,' she added. SOURCE: The study was published online on July 22 in JAMA Network Open. LIMITATIONS: The study predominantly involved high-income English-speaking countries and participants with internet access, potentially introducing a selection bias. The sample may have also been influenced by novelty-seeking individuals or those with positive experiences with drugs. The reliance on self-diagnosis without formal assessment of EDs or comorbid conditions, along with potential recall bias in self-reporting of drug use and clinical features, limited the generalizability of findings. Some findings involved relatively small numbers of people with specific diagnoses using specific drugs, and the positive public perception of cannabis and psychedelics may have influenced ratings through expectation and placebo effects. DISCLOSURES: The study was funded by the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics at the University of Sydney. Several investigators reported having financial ties with various sources, and some reported holding share options, patents, and expert-witness roles with pharmaceutical and cannabis-industry entities. Full details are listed in the original article. This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Scientists say the Great Barrier Reef is 'worth fighting for' after shocking report
A new report has found that parts of the Great Barrier Reef have suffered the largest annual decline in coral cover since records began almost 40 years ago. According to the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), the sharp declines in coral cover and increased instances of coral bleaching are directly linked to heat stress caused by climate change–but scientists are warning Aussies that despair isn't the answer. The AIMS research team leader for reef monitoring, Dr Mike Emslie, told Yahoo News Australia that while the latest report does highlight the seriousness of increased coral bleaching, the reef is still 'worth fighting for.' 'It is by no means dead, but it is certainly under stress from continuous cumulative impacts… if we do give it a chance by taking meaningful action on greenhouse gas emissions and getting the warming trend under control, it will continue to flourish into the future.' Video transcript A new report has found that parts of the Great Barrier Reef have suffered the largest annual decline in coral cover since records began almost 40 years ago, according to the Australian Institute of Marine Science. The sharp decline in coral cover and increased instances of coral bleaching are directly linked to heat stress caused by climate change, but scientists are warning Aussies that despair isn't the answer. The AIMS research team leader for Monitoring, Dr. Mike Emsley told Yahoo News Australia that while the latest report does highlight the seriousness of increased coral bleaching, the reef is still worth fighting for. It is by no means dead, but it is certainly under stress from continuous cumulative impacts. If we do give it a chance by taking meaningful action on greenhouse gas emissions and getting the warming trend under control, it will continue to flourish into the future.
Forbes
7 hours ago
- Forbes
The New Startup Category VCs Are Excited About
We are on the cusp of a profound demographic shift. In 1950, there were only 14,000 centenarians. Today, it's nearly 750,000. By 2054, this figure is projected to reach almost four million. Living to 100 is swiftly becoming the new normal. Healthcare systems aren't ready for this demographic tsunami. They were built for a different era, when life expectancy was much, much lower. (This is why, incidentally, older age care isn't covered by the NHS remit - the founders of the health service simply didn't believe there was a great enough need). We're entering a new era. One that necessitates a completely fresh approach to health, wellbeing and longevity. And the solutions that can step in to solve this challenge are getting VCs excited. We're calling this new startup vertical - where deep-tech, healthcare and AI meet - 'bio-infrastructure'. Whilst recent years have brought a range of new therapies and smart gadgets aimed at helping us live healthier lives, these innovations won't help us cope with the upcoming demographic challenges at scale without a fundamental overhaul of the underlying systems in which they operate. Markets across the world need new infrastructure that allows for a seamless interplay of data, tooling, physical equipment, and health delivery. Think predictive AI that can optimise clinical trials by matching drugs to the right patient cohorts based on genetics. Or cloud platforms that allow scientists to run experiments without needing their own physical labs. Bio-infrastructure startups are stepping up to fix these foundations and make them fit for the future. Founders in this space are building at the intersection of healthcare, deep-tech, infrastructure, and artificial intelligence. Looking not just at software, but how it interacts with the physical elements of healthcare: the labs, clinics, servers, factories, and workforce that make systems like the NHS function. These companies don't fit into traditional boxes like "drug developer" or "software business"; they are collectively building the layer of intelligence that will power the health system of tomorrow. VCs like me are paying increasing attention to this space, especially the startups building across these five bioinfrastructure pillars. There is a huge space to build a category defining company that can boost lab productivity by leveraging agentic AI and advanced automation. My prediction here is that labs will become increasingly sophisticated and autonomous, accelerating R&D and empowering nations with limited resources to build their own biotech capabilities. The next generation of pharma giants could come from this group; companies that start with a technical or process advantage and use it to build their own drug pipelines. Companies like Micrographia Bio (an Ada Ventures portfolio company) and Benchling are some of the exciting first movers already breaking through in this space. The clinical trial process is stuck in the past. But modern software can change that. I'm excited about companies that are using predictive analytics to match drug trials to the right cohorts, shorten recruitment times, and fine-tune supply chains. The ultimate goal? The "n-of-1" clinical trial, where treatment is personalised based on an individual's unique genetic and disease dynamics. I believe that the next blockbuster therapy will come to market because of operational innovation like this, powered by startups like (an Ada portfolio company) or Owkin. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the fragility of global medical supply chains - making it clear that strategic autonomy in biotechnology is a national imperative. As a VC, I'm looking to invest in platforms that empower domestic biomanufacturing capabilities. That might be cloud biology platforms that democratise access to compute, or specialised facilities for producing cell and gene therapies. BitBio and Nuclera are great examples of this type of bio-manufacturing innovation in action. The VC bet here is that, just as cloud democratised access to computing power, bio-manufacturing infrastructure will democratise access to life-saving therapeutics. Never the sexiest area, but regulation-focused startups have a huge part to play in the bioinfrastructure revolution. My eyes are currently peeled for tools that use agentic AI to standardise regulatory filings and API-first companies that embed privacy, security, and consent compliance directly into devices and care delivery. Companies that simplify or automate regulatory burdens such as FDA submissions and HIPAA compliance - like Keragon, Freshpaint or healthverity - can allow biotech companies to focus on discovery instead of paperwork. I predict that the next wave of digital health platforms will make regulation and compliance almost invisible. Healthcare can't scale without people, but the way we find, train, and retain workers is broken. We need more platforms that can bring the speed of the gig economy to healthcare while upholding the highest standards of verification and onboarding. At Ada, we're backing credentialing platforms, marketplaces that match healthcare workers with flexible shifts, and AI copilots that reduce cognitive load for nurses and caregivers. Existing examples of leaders in this field include Cera, Axuall and Ambience. The bet is simple: the next billion-dollar workforce platform won't be for coders - it'll be for caregivers. The bio-infrastructure bets we make now will define this new age of longer lifespans, and it's exciting to see so many founders already taking on the challenges of tomorrow. With age comes wisdom, and if we're living to 100, we have a lot to look forward to. But for VCs like me, the wisest choice right now is to back the startups making healthcare systems more proactive, preventative, and fair – for everyone.
