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An enormous ancient terrain, undisturbed for over 34 million years, has been found hidden under more than a mile of ice in East Antarctica.
The concealed landscape can be found in a distant area called Wilkes Land, which is a section of East Antarctica about the same size as Belgium and situated well inland, away from the coast.
Using satellite data and ice-penetrating radar, scientists revealed that this ancient world, now sealed under ice, once featured rivers, forests, and possibly even palm trees.
Actually, pollen from palm trees has been documented before discovered near the Antarctic shoreline, offering clear proof of an erstwhile verdant setting.
Experts believe the concealed terrain covers over 12,000 square miles, approximately the size of Maryland .
"It’s akin to discovering a time capsule," remarked Professor Stewart Jamieson, who led the research at Durham University.
Millions of years ago, as the continents slowly moved, Antarctica began to drift towards the South Pole.
This movement contributed to the creation of a strong sea current. around the continent, isolating it from warmer waters. At the same time, atmospheric carbon dioxide levels dropped, cooling the planet.
These alterations collectively led to the development of extensive ice sheets, turning Antarctica into the icy wilderness it is known as today.
The terrain beneath the East Antarctic ice sheet is more obscure than the surface it covers. Mars "As stated by Stewart Jamieson, the principal investigator of this study and a geography professor at Durham University," he said.
"We are examining a specific section of this area with greater precision to understand what it reveals about the development of the landscape and the transformation of the ice sheet," explained Professor Jamieson.
Researchers have discovered an impressive ancient terrain concealed under the icy cover of Antarctica, showcasing massive ridges and profound canyons locked in ice for millennia.
The research pinpointed three large sections of raised terrain, with each segment extending from 75 to 105 miles in length and spanning up to 53 miles in width. These areas are divided by valleys that reach widths of about 25 miles and depths of almost 3,900 feet.
In contrast to numerous glaciers that wear away the landscape underneath them, the icy region in eastern Antarctica experiences very low temperatures and moves at an exceptionally sluggish pace, advancing less than 16 feet annually.
This gradual progression has maintained the scenery with exceptional precision. Experts call this phenomenon a 'cold-based' ice sheet, indicating that the ice is adhered to the earth beneath it, resulting in little erosion.
"It’s striking that this landscape, concealed in plain view for numerous years, can reveal such extensive information about the early and prolonged history of the East Antarctic ice sheet," stated Neil Ross, a professor of environmental geophysics at Newcastle University and a co-author of the research.
'It also aids our understanding of how it could adapt to climate change in the future.'
Scientists employed satellite images to identify minor undulations on the surface and utilized computer simulations to track how the terrain has changed over periods.
Certain sections of the submerged landscape have elevated by up to 1,600 feet, gradually lifted due to the immense pressure from the ice above.
The conserved landscape provides a unique glimpse into Antarctica's distant history, far predating when ice enveloped the region.
"What we discover is an old landscape surface that hasn’t been worn down by the ice sheet; rather, it seems as though it was formed by rivers prior to the arrival of the ice," explained Professor Jamieson.
At that time, the area probably had meandering rivers and lush woodlands, flourishing in a mild climate.
When the massive continent of Gondwana started breaking up, the movement of these land masses formed significant rifts and fractures. These geological features probably divided the elevated regions into separate blocks prior to the arrival of the initial ice sheets.
As time passed, the climate became cooler, leading to the formation of small glaciers that slowly carved out the valleys and shaped the terrain into the distinctive U-shapes characteristic of glacial activity in mountains.
About 14 million years ago, the growing East Antarctic Ice Sheet covered the region with ice.
Despite warmer intervals in subsequent epochs like the mid-Pliocene about 3 million years ago, the area stayed icy-cold.
Even though the encircling ice might have partly thawed during those warmer periods, it was insufficient to reveal the underlying old landscape.
This finding is particularly crucial now, as our planet moves towards experiencing carbon dioxide concentrations and temperature levels last encountered during those ice-free periods.
Should global warming persist, experts warn that sections of the ice sheet might ultimately withdraw once more. However, accessing this concealed terrain by boring through over a mile of dense ice would necessitate considerable time, labor, and financial resources.
Professor Jamieson stated, "We will keep investigating the terrain, striving to complete areas where assessments are missing, and utilize this data to grasp how the ice sheet and its base topography have evolved throughout their extensive history."
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