Latest news with #EastAntarcticIceSheet
India Today
11-07-2025
- Science
- India Today
Remains of ancient world found buried beneath Antarctica
Remains of ancient world found buried beneath Antarctica 10 Jul, 2025 Credit: AFP, Durham University Scientists have discovered extensive flat landscapes buried beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, formed by ancient rivers after East Antarctica and Australia separated around 80 million years ago and before ice covered the continent about 34 million years ago. These flat surfaces, once connected, are now hidden beneath the ice and separated by deep troughs, which channel fast-flowing glaciers, while the ice above the flat surfaces moves much more slowly. The preserved landscapes act as barriers to ice flow and may currently regulate the rate of ice loss from East Antarctica, which is crucial as ice loss from the continent is increasing. If all of East Antarctica's ice melted, it could raise global sea levels by up to 52 meters, highlighting the significance of understanding how these buried landscapes influence ice sheet stability. Including the effects of these newly discovered surfaces in ice-sheet models could refine predictions of future ice loss and sea level rise, especially under climate change scenarios. The discovery reveals that parts of the East Antarctic landscape have remained largely unchanged for over 30 million years, indicating minimal erosion and exceptional preservation beneath the ice. Researchers emphasise the need for further exploration, including drilling to sample rocks from these surfaces, to better understand when they were last ice-free and improve predictions of the ice sheet's response to future warming
New York Post
12-06-2025
- Science
- New York Post
30-million-year-old lost world beneath Antarctic ice discovered: ‘Like opening a time capsule'
It was frozen in time. Antarctica wasn't always a desolate icescape. International researchers announced the discovery of an over 30-million-year-old lost world beneath the Antarctic ice that may have teemed with rivers, forests, and possibly even palm trees. 'This finding is like opening a time capsule,' said Professor Stewart Jamieson, a geologist from Durham University in England and co-author of the groundbreaking study, which was published in the journal 'Nature Communications,' per The Economic Times. Field work for the ice-breaking study began in 2017, when the team was drilling in a seabed to extract sediments from an ecosystem buried beneath the ice, the Jerusalem Post reported. 3 'The land underneath the East Antarctic ice sheet is less well-known than the surface of Mars,' said study co-author Professor Stewart Jamieson. – Upon analyzing this sediment, they happened upon an ancient ecosystem buried over a mile underneath the ice. Researchers estimated that the total landscape, located in Wilkesland, East Antarctica, measured more than 12,000 square miles — approximately the size of Maryland, the Daily Mail reported. 3 Researchers found traces of ancient palm pollen, suggesting that the region could've even been tropical before its glaciation. fotoverse – 'The land underneath the East Antarctic ice sheet is less well-known than the surface of Mars,' said Jamieson. '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.' Using advanced tools such as ground-penetrating radar, the team was able to pinpoint blocks of elevated ground measuring 75 and 105 miles long and up to 53 miles wide, that were separated by valleys as wide as 25 miles and plunging nearly 3,900 feet deep. Further analysis revealed that this subglacial landmass was 'likely not eroded by the ice sheet' and was likely 'created by rivers,' per Jamieson. This would mean that the prehistoric landscape likely formed before the first large-scale glaciation of Antarctica 34 million years ago. 3 A diagram depicting the ancient river landscape preserved beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet. Nature Communications When supercontinent Gondwana began to fragment, the shifting landmass created deep fissures and gave rise to the aforementioned towering ridges. During this time, the region likely featured flowing rivers and dense forests in a temperate or even tropical climate — a theory supported by the team's discovery of ancient palm pollen near the site, the Economic Times reported. Meanwhile, the sediments found at the repository contained microorganisms, harking back to a totally different environment with warmer seas and greater biodiversity. 'It's difficult to say exactly what this ancient landscape looked like, but depending on how far back you go, the climate might have resembled modern-day Patagonia, or even something tropical,' said Jamieson. In other words, the greening of Antarctica is not necessarily a modern phenomeon. As the global climate cooled, the incoming ice sheet covered the continent and halted the erosion process, effectively freezing the subglacial ecosystem in time — much like an ice block woolly mammoth. 'The geological history of Antarctica records significant fluctuations,' explained Jamieson. 'But such abrupt changes gave the ice little time to significantly alter the landscape beneath.' Despite subsequent warm spells, such as the mid-Pliocene around 3 million years ago, the regions icy carapace never receded enough to expose this subglacial topography. The team hopes that analyzing the structure and evolution of the hidden landscape — namely how it was shaped by prehistoric ice — will help experts more accurately predict melting patterns today. 'This type of finding helps us understand how climate and geography intertwine, and what we can expect in a world with rising temperatures,' said Jamieson.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Antarctic iceberg the size of Chicago breaks off, reveals thriving undersea ecosystem
An iceberg the size of Chicago that broke off of an Antarctic ice shelf has revealed a thriving ecosystem beneath it, according to researchers. On Jan. 13, the iceberg, named A-84, broke off from the George VI Ice Shelf, a massive floating glacier attached to the Antarctic Peninsula ice sheet, according to the Schmidt Ocean Institute. The seafloor beneath, previously covered by 209 square miles of ice, had never before been accessible to humans. A team of researchers aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute's R/V Falkor (too) oceanographic research vessel were working in the Bellingshausen Sea, on the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula, but dropped everything to make their way to the ice shelf. The pivot was described as a "serendipitous moment' by Schmidt Ocean Institute Executive Director Jyotika Virmani. "We seized upon the moment, changed our expedition plan, and went for it so we could look at what was happening in the depths below," said Patricia Esquete, expedition co-chief scientist and biology researcher at the Centre of Marine and Environmental Studies, based in the U.S. Virgin Islands. MORE: Exhibition of photos taken in the Galapagos and Antarctica by former fashion photographer on display in New York The team arrived at the site on Jan. 25 and observed the seafloor for eight days with the help of a remotely operated vehicle named SuBastian, which dove nearly a quarter mile to gather data on the geology, physical oceanography and biology of the never-before-explored underwater terrain. Unexpectedly, they found a "beautiful, thriving ecosystem," Esquete said. The significant biomass and biodiversity of the ecosystems surprised the researchers, especially since deep-sea ecosystems typically rely on nutrients from the surface that slowly trickle down to the seafloor – an unlikely occurrence when the sea surface is covered by 500-foot-thick ice. The marine scientists hypothesize that ocean currents may be responsible for moving life-sustaining nutrients to the ecosystem. MORE: Scientists have discovered an ancient river landscape hidden beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet The species detected in the previously unknown ecosystem include large corals and sponges supporting a plethora of marine life, including icefish, giant sea spiders and octopuses, with several previously undiscovered species likely among them, the researchers said. Based on the size of the animals, the communities have likely lived in that spot for decades, even hundreds of years, Esquete said. Little is known about the seafloor beneath the floating ice shelves in Antarctica, according to the institute. MORE: Scientists have discovered an ancient river landscape hidden beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet Over the last few decades, global warming has caused the Antarctic Peninsula ice sheet to shrink and lose mass, the researchers said. Satellite images released by NASA show the progression of the iceberg's break from the George IV Ice Shelf from January through February 2025. Antarctica is also home to the Thwaites Glacier, also known as the "Doomsday Glacier" due to its potential to contribute to severe global sea level rise, should it continue to melt. "The ice loss from the Antarctic Ice Sheet is a major contributor to sea level rise worldwide," said expedition co-chief scientist Sasha Montelli, a researcher at University College London. MORE: It may be too late to prevent significant melting on West Antarctic ice shelf that includes 'Doomsday Glacier': Study The newly exposed seafloor allowed an international team of scientists to gather critical data about the past behavior of the larger Antarctic ice sheet. Autonomous underwater vehicles called gliders were also deployed to study the impacts of glacial meltwater on the physical and chemical properties of the region. Preliminary data shows a strong meltwater flow from the George IV Ice Shelf, according to the institute. "Our work is critical for providing longer-term context of these recent changes, improving our ability to make projections of future change – projections that can inform actionable policies. We will undoubtedly make new discoveries as we continue to analyze this vital data," Montelli said. Antarctic iceberg the size of Chicago breaks off, reveals thriving undersea ecosystem originally appeared on
