What is the hidden landscape ‘frozen in time’ under Antarctic ice that is recently discovered by researchers?

A team of researchers has unveiled a hidden geological marvel, a sprawling terrain of hills and valleys shaped by ancient rivers, concealed beneath the Antarctic ice for over 34 million years.

This colossal landscape, surpassing the size of Belgium, has remained untouched, frozen in time, until now. However, the scientists caution that escalating global warming poses a potential threat to its continued preservation.

Professor Stewart Jamieson, the lead author of the study and a glaciologist at Durham University, underscored the significance of this revelation, noting that it had been hiding in plain sight, discovered not through new data but rather a fresh approach. The land beneath the east Antarctic ice sheet, he stated, remains less explored than the surface of Mars. To delve into its secrets, planes employ radio-echo sounding, sending radio waves through the ice and analyzing the resulting echoes. Given Antarctica's vast expanse, this method presents a formidable challenge.


The researchers circumvented this obstacle by employing existing satellite images of the surface, allowing them to discern the contours of valleys and ridges more than 1.6 miles beneath. The undulating ice surface forms a spectral overlay, concealing the more rugged features below. When combined with radio-echo sounding data, a vivid image emerged of a landscape sculpted by ancient rivers, featuring plunging valleys and sharply peaked hills reminiscent of Earth's surface formations.

While determining the last time sunlight graced this hidden world poses a challenge, the researchers estimate it to be at least 14 million years. Jamieson speculates that it likely saw the light of day over 34 million years ago, during Antarctica's initial glaciation.

However, the researchers caution that global warming could jeopardize this newfound landscape. The shifting atmospheric conditions could mirror those of an era between 14 million and 34 million years ago, when temperatures were 3 to 7 degrees Celsius warmer than today. Nevertheless, Jamieson reassures that any potential exposure remains a considerable distance inland from the ice's edge, making it a scenario that lies far in the future.