Latest news with #HamishPritchard
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
What's Beneath All That Ice In Antarctica? New Map Reveals The Hidden World And Possibly The Future
What comes to mind when you think of Antarctica? Probably snow and ice. But a group of international scientists are shaking up what we think we know about the continent after unveiling a new, very detailed map of everything beneath the millions of miles of ice. The map, called Bedmap3, gives a clear view of the towering mountains and deep canyons hidden by the ice sheets. It was compiled using more than 60 years of data from planes, satellites, ships and even sleds pulled by dogs. The British Antarctic Survey led the study and the results were published in the journal Scientific Data. As the name of the map implies, this is the third effort to illustrate Antarctica's rock bed. The project began in 2001, but the researchers involved say the new map represents a dramatic refinement using 82 million data points. That data includes recent surveys in East Antarctica, which helped fill big gaps in our collective knowledge of the region, including around the South Pole. One notable discovery is that Antarctica's thickest ice was found in an unnamed canyon in Wilkes Land. The ice there is more than 15,000 feet thick. Earlier maps placed the thickest ice in the Astrolabe Basin In Adelie Land. Here's why this new map is critical: It will help researchers figure out how Antarctica might respond to warming temperatures. "This is the fundamental information that underpins the computer models we use to investigate how the ice will flow across the continent as temperatures rise," said Dr. Hamish Pritchard, a glaciologist at BAS and the study's lead author. "Imagine pouring syrup over a rock cake – all the lumps, all the bumps, will determine where the syrup goes and how fast. And so it is with Antarctica: some ridges will hold up the flowing ice; the hollows and smooth bits are where that ice could accelerate." So could this map also be a chilling look at Antarctica's future under a worst-case scenario? This group of scientists did not go that far, but they did discover that those ice sheets are thicker than once thought. Here's what Peter Fretwell, mapping specialist and co-author at BAS, says: "In general, it's become clear the Antarctic Ice Sheet is thicker than we originally realized and has a larger volume of ice that is grounded on a rock bed sitting below sea level. This puts the ice at greater risk of melting due to the incursion of warm ocean water that's occurring at the fringes of the continent. What Bedmap3 is showing us is that we have got a slightly more vulnerable Antarctica than we previously thought." MORE ON - Surprising Discovery Under Antarctic Ice Shelf - Your Area Could Be Next: Tornado Risk Is All Year - Top 10 Worst Cities For Allergy Sufferers
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists Reveal What Antarctica Would Look Like With No Ice
Antarctica was once a lush and thriving land, teeming with prehistoric life. It's hard to believe now, but tucked away, hidden underneath a layer of ice kilometers thick, that ancient landscape still lies buried, never seen by human eyes. Never seen, perhaps, but that doesn't mean forever to remain unknown. For years, the British Antarctic Survey has been flying planes over the frozen southern continent, using radar, sound waves, and gravity mapping to ascertain the shape of the bedrock sequestered below. Their new map of Antarctica as it lies under the ice is the most detailed yet – revealing mountain ranges, ancient riverbeds, deep basins, and low, sweeping plains. This, according to a team led by glaciologist Hamish Pritchard of the British Antarctic Survey, will provide crucial information to scientists looking to understand the complex interplay between land and ice as Antarctica continues to transform under a changing climate. "This is the fundamental information that underpins the computer models we use to investigate how the ice will flow across the continent as temperatures rise," Pritchard says. "Imagine pouring syrup over a rock cake – all the lumps, all the bumps, will determine where the syrup goes and how fast. And so it is with Antarctica: some ridges will hold up the flowing ice; the hollows and smooth bits are where that ice could accelerate." It's a fascinating question, really. If you removed the 27 million cubic kilometers (6.5 million cubic miles) of ice that covers Antarctica, what would the continent look like? What ancient geology is hidden thereunder; what history remains undiscovered? It wasn't so long ago that we'd have little way of finding out. Now, we can fly planes and satellites carrying the sensitive tools of metrology to measure what we can't see. This is the work the British Antarctic Survey has been carrying out, incrementally adding more data over the course of six decades to fill in their map of what lies beneath. The latest map, known as Bedmap3, comprises data collected from planes, satellites, ships, and dog sled teams on the ground to catalog the hidden landscape of Antarctica. The 277 ice thickness surveys used to compile the map contributed 82 million data points, filling in huge gaps in the previous map. One of those gaps is the point at which the ice that covers Antarctica is at its thickest. Previous surveys had placed it in Adélie Land's Astrolabe Basin. The new map, however, reveals that the true position is at 76.052 degrees South, 118.378 degrees East, where an unnamed canyon produces an ice thickness of 4,757 meters (15,607 feet). Ice thickness surveys were particularly lacking around mountains, coastlines, and nunataks (isolated mountains sticking out of the ice). Bedmap3 clarified the regions around the South Pole itself, along the coastlines of the Antarctic Peninsula and West Antarctica, and the Transantarctic Mountains. We know how high the top of the ice that covers Antarctica reaches from sea level. Mapping the topography of a mass that is open to the sky is relatively straightforward. By forging a more accurate map of the shape of the bottom of the ice, Pritchard and his colleagues could more accurately calculate how much ice is there. The total volume of ice is 27.17 million cubic kilometers, covering an area of 13.63 square kilometers. The mean thickness of the ice, including the ice shelves, is 1,948 meters; excluding the ice shelves, it's 2,148 meters. If all the ice in Antarctica was to melt, this means sea levels would rise by 58 meters. That's consistent with previous surveys, but with a couple of tweaks. "In general, it's become clear the Antarctic Ice Sheet is thicker than we originally realised and has a larger volume of ice that is grounded on a rock bed sitting below sea-level," explains cartographer Peter Fretwell of the British Antarctic Survey. "This puts the ice at greater risk of melting due to the incursion of warm ocean water that's occurring at the fringes of the continent. What Bedmap3 is showing us is that we have got a slightly more vulnerable Antarctica than we previously thought." But hey, at least we might finally be able to find the Mountains of Madness…? The team's research has been published in Scientific Data. Common Habit Could Be a Source of Plastic Pollution We Never Considered Microplastics Are Disrupting Photosynthesis, And The Impact Could Be Huge NASA Reports Sea Levels Rose by 'Unexpected' Amount in Earth's Hottest Year
USA Today
19-03-2025
- Science
- USA Today
What's under all that ice in Antarctica? New map has answers.
What's under all that ice in Antarctica? New map has answers. Show Caption Hide Caption Do people live in Antarctica? What to know about the icy continent. Do people live in Antarctica? What to know about the continent's residents and visitors. Have you ever wondered what Antarctica might look like without ice? Now, a new map released this week gives us a clear view of the continent as if its massive sheet of ice has been removed, revealing the hidden locations of its tallest mountains and the deepest canyons. The mapping effort, called Bedmap3, includes far more detail than previous maps and includes millions more data points. "In general, it's become clear the Antarctic ice sheet is thicker than we originally realized," said Peter Fretwell of the British Antarctic Survey, which produced the map. A mix of good news and bad news about butterflies: They in trouble, but it doesn't take much to help. The findings were published this week in the journal Scientific Data. What is an ice sheet? Ice sheets are masses of glacial land ice extending more than 20,000 square miles, the National Snow and Ice Data Center said. There are only two ice sheets worldwide today, the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets. They contain more than 99% of the land ice on Earth. The huge size of the ice sheets means that the loss of even a small fraction of their total ice can significantly raise sea levels. From 2002 to 2017, for example, due to global warming, ice sheet losses accounted for roughly a third of mean sea level rise. The Antarctic ice sheet, which covers 98% of the continent, averages around 1.2 miles in thickness, with its thickest point reaching nearly 3 miles, the Australian Antarctic Program reports. Read more news about our planet: Sign up for USA TODAY's Climate Point newsletter. Why is the map important? 'This is the fundamental information that underpins the computer models we use to investigate how the ice will flow across the continent as temperatures rise," said Hamish Pritchard, a glaciologist at BAS and lead author of the study. A mix of good news and bad news about butterflies: They in trouble, but it doesn't take much to help. Known as Bedmap3, the map incorporates more than six decades of survey data acquired by planes, satellites, ships and even dog-drawn sleds. The outline of deep valleys is better represented in the new map, the BAS said. So too are those places where rocky mountains stick up through the ice. "The latest satellite data have also more accurately recorded the height and shape of the ice sheet and the thickness of the floating ice shelves that push out over the ocean at the continent's margin," the BAS said in a statement. A 'vulnerable Antarctica' Scientists said the map revealed that the ice sheet is at greater risk of melting due to the incursion of warm ocean water that's occurring at the fringes of the continent. "What Bedmap3 is showing us is that we have got a slightly more vulnerable Antarctica than we previously thought," Fretwell said.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
This is what Antarctica looks like under the ice in most-detailed ever map of the continent
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Scientists have unveiled the most detailed map yet of the landscape hidden beneath Antarctica's ice. The high-resolution map reveals what the frozen continent looks like beneath its miles-thick blanket of ice and snow, and will help researchers predict how Antarctica might evolve in a fast-warming climate. "Imagine pouring syrup over a rock cake [or a chocolate chip cookie, if that's more familiar to you] — all the lumps, all the bumps, will determine where the syrup goes and how fast," Hamish Pritchard, a glaciologist at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and the lead author of a new study outlining the research, said in a statement. The same process will occur in Antarctica if a significant amount of the ice sheet melts, Pritchard said. "Some ridges will hold up the flowing ice; the hollows and smooth bits are where that ice could accelerate," he said. Related: When was the last time Antarctica was ice-free? Bedmap3 builds on two previous studies that digitally stripped Antarctica of its ice. The new map incorporates all of the data used for Bedmap1 and Bedmap2 — including measurements gathered by planes, satellites, ships and even dog-drawn sleds. But the team also sourced an extra 52 million data points to refine these previous results, according to the study, published March 10 in the journal Scientific Data. In total, more than six decades' worth of data was compiled to construct Bedmap3, the researchers said in the statement. "This is the fundamental information that underpins the computer models we use to investigate how the ice will flow across the continent as temperatures rise," Pritchard said. The new map is color coded to show the height of Antarctica's bedrock above sea level, highlighting the continent's tallest mountains and deepest valleys. The topography is revealed in the finest detail yet, providing new insight into understudied areas, including around the South Pole, according to the statement. The researchers used radar, seismic and gravity measurements to map the bedrock and estimate the thickness of the ice sheet above it. Against their expectations, they found that the place with the thickest ice in Antarctica is an unnamed canyon in Wilkes Land, a district in the east of the continent. Previous surveys placed Antarctica's thickest ice in the Astrolabe Basin in Adélie Land. The difference in ice thickness between the two areas is small: The Astrolabe Basin has a thickness of around 2.9 miles (4.7 kilometers), while Wilkes Land is almost 3 miles (4.8 km) thick, according to the study. The new research also reveals, in unprecedented detail, the shape of the ice sheet and ice shelves that float around the fringes of the continent. RELATED STORIES —Ocean's 'heart' is slowing down — and it will affect the entire planet's circulation —Massive Antarctic icebergs' split from glaciers may be unrelated to climate change —1st map of Antarctica's green space unveiled. Here's what it shows. "In general, it's become clear the Antarctic Ice Sheet is thicker than we originally realized and has a larger volume of ice that is grounded on a rock bed sitting below sea level," study co-author Peter Fretwell, a mapping specialist and geographic information officer at the BAS, said in the statement. Although thickness in itself is not a problem, the fact that much of the ice sits below sea level is concerning, because relatively warm seawater can flood into the ice sheet, Fretwell said. "This puts the ice at greater risk of melting," he added. "What Bedmap3 is showing us is that we have got a slightly more vulnerable Antarctica than we previously thought," Fretwell added.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
World hidden beneath Antarctic ice reveals staggering reality: 'Greater risk'
If you've ever wondered what lies beneath Antarctica's icy surface, then this map will blow your mind. Scientists documenting a hidden rocky world have revealed its terrain includes tall mountains and the deep canyons that no human has ever seen. The map was created by a team of international scientists led by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). Named Bedmap3, it was published in the journal Scientific Data today, and as its name suggests, it's the third attempt to map the continent's rock bed since 2001. The map includes important revisions, including that Antarctica's thickest overlying ice is at a different part of Australia's Antarctic Territory than previously thought. New data suggests it's at Wilkes Land, not at the Astrolabe Basin. At 4,757 metres, its depth is more than four times the length of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Related: 🦟 'Unimaginable' theory emerges about desolate continent As well as being fascinating to see, the map is expected to play an important role in determining how the continent will be modified as climate change warms the planet. BAS Dr glaciologist Hamish Pritchard explained the ground that lies beneath the ice will direct the flow of the melt. 'Imagine pouring syrup over a rock cake – all the lumps, all the bumps, will determine where the syrup goes and how fast. And so it is with Antarctica: some ridges will hold up the flowing ice; the hollows and smooth bits are where that ice could accelerate,' he said. The cartographers were informed by 60 years of data collected by adventurers on dog sleds, modern satellites, and passengers on ships and planes. They also used radar, sound waves and gravity measurements to build a picture of what the continent would look like without 27 million cubic kilometres of ice. 🏡 Aussies urged to fit $7 'lifesaving' Bunnings device to homes 🐣 Once common Aussie bird among 21 new species facing extinction 😳 Weed sparks major concern after scary discovery Alarmingly, BAS mapping specialist Peter Fretwell believes the revisions show Antarctica could be more 'slightly more' vulnerable to climate change than first thought. If all the ice on the continent was to melt, global seas could rise by more than 58 metres. "In general, it's become clear the Antarctic Ice Sheet is thicker than we originally realised and has a larger volume of ice that is grounded on a rock bed sitting below sea-level. This puts the ice at greater risk of melting due to the incursion of warm ocean water that's occurring at the fringes of the continent,' he said. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
