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A groundbreaking new map has revealed the landscape concealed beneath Antarctica’s ice sheet with unprecedented clarity, an achievement researchers say could significantly advance our understanding of the continent.
Scientists utilized satellite data and insights into glacial movement to deduce the underlying topography of Antarctica.
The analysis uncovered evidence of thousands of previously unknown hills and ridges, and produced maps of hidden mountain ranges with unparalleled clarity.
While acknowledging inherent uncertainties, the research team believes these refined maps could illuminate how Antarctica will respond to the escalating effects of climate change, and the subsequent implications for global sea levels.
“It’s akin to transitioning from a grainy, low-resolution film camera to a high-definition digital image, providing a much clearer picture of the continent’s hidden features,” Dr. Helen Ockenden, lead author and researcher at the University of Grenoble-Alpes, told BBC News.
Satellite technology has afforded scientists a comprehensive understanding of Antarctica’s surface, but the underlying landscape has remained largely enigmatic.
In fact, more is known about the surfaces of certain planets in our solar system than about the topography beneath the Antarctic ice sheet.
However, researchers have now developed what they consider to be the most comprehensive and detailed map of this hidden landscape to date.
“I’m incredibly excited to examine the complete Antarctic bedrock,” said Professor Robert Bingham, a glaciologist at the University of Edinburgh and co-author of the study. “I find it truly remarkable.”
Traditional methods involving ground-based or airborne radar have been used to penetrate the ice, which in some areas reaches a thickness of 4.8 kilometers (3 miles). However, these surveys typically follow distinct lines or tracks.
These survey lines can be spaced tens of kilometers apart, leaving scientists to interpolate the intervening regions.
“Imagine trying to understand the shape of the Scottish Highlands or the European Alps if they were covered in ice and the only data available came from occasional flights spaced several kilometers apart. You would miss the sharp mountains and valleys that we know exist,” Bingham explained.
The researchers adopted a novel approach, integrating satellite-derived data on the ice surface with physics-based models of ice movement, validated against existing survey tracks.
“It’s similar to kayaking on a river where the presence of rocks beneath the surface is revealed by eddies. Ice flows differently than water, but when it moves over a ridge or hill in the bedrock, this is reflected in the surface topography and the velocity of the ice,” Ockenden explained.
While major Antarctic mountain ranges were already known, the new methodology has exposed tens of thousands of previously undiscovered hills and ridges, and has provided greater detail about submerged mountains and canyons.
“It’s incredibly fascinating to explore these newly revealed landscapes and observe their features,” said Ockenden.
“It’s reminiscent of seeing a topographic map of Mars for the first time and thinking, ‘Wow, this is so interesting, this looks a bit like Scotland,’ or ‘this looks like nothing I’ve ever seen before.'”
One notable discovery is a deep channel carved into the Antarctic bedrock within the Maud Subglacial Basin.
This channel averages 50 meters in depth, 6 kilometers in width, and extends for nearly 400 kilometers (approximately 250 miles) – roughly the distance from London to Newcastle as the crow flies.
The new map is unlikely to be definitive, as it relies on assumptions regarding ice flow, which inevitably introduces uncertainties.
Much remains to be discovered about the rocks and sediments buried beneath the ice.
However, other researchers concur that, in conjunction with future ground, air, and space-based surveys, these maps represent a valuable step forward.
“This is a highly valuable product,” said Dr. Peter Fretwell, senior scientist at the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge, who was not directly involved in the study but has contributed extensively to prior mapping efforts.
“It offers an opportunity to bridge the gaps between existing surveys,” he added.
Researchers suggest that a more detailed understanding of the ridges, hills, mountains, and channels could improve computer models used to predict future changes in Antarctica.
These landforms influence the speed at which glaciers move and retreat in a warming climate.
The rate of ice melt in Antarctica is widely regarded as one of the most significant uncertainties in climate science.
“[This study provides] a clearer picture of future events and the speed at which Antarctic ice will contribute to global sea-level rise,” Fretwell agreed.
The study is published in the academic journal, Science.
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