An enormous subglacial trough, deeper than the Grand Canyon, has been discovered in Antarctica.
The project involved a large team of U.K. scientists and researchers working the Ellsowrth Subglacial Highlands, an ancient mountain range buried beneath miles of Antarctic ice.
Over the course of three seasons, the group collected data from satellites and ice-penetrating radar towed behind skidoos and on-board small aircraft. The combination of these two technologies not only allowed the group to investigate the area, but also map out this large region of western Antarctica.
It was during this time the group discovered the massive subglacial valley, which measures some 3 kilometers deep (1.86 miles). It’s also more than 300 kilometers (186.41 miles) long and roughly 25 kilometers (15.53 miles) wide.
In some places, the scanning technology turned in reports that showed the trough measuring more than 2,000 meters (6,562 feet) below sea level.
The group believes the canyon was carved out millions of years ago by a small icefield like those found today on the Antarctic Peninsula, Arctic Canada, and Alaska.
Professor Martin Siegert, Professor of Geosciences at the University of Bristol, said: “While the idea of West Antarctic Ice Sheet growth and decay over the past few million years has been discussed for decades, the precise location where the ice sheet may originate from in growth phases, and decay back to in periods of decay, has not been known.
“By looking at the topography beneath the ice sheet using a combination of ice-penetrating radio-echo sounding and satellite imagery, we have revealed a region which possesses classic glacial geomorphic landforms, such as u-shaped valleys and cirques, that could only have been formed by a small ice cap, similar to those seen at present in the Canadian and Russian High Arctic. The region uncovered is, therefore, the site of ice sheet genesis in West Antarctica.”
The technology the group used allowed them to provide a report filled with unprecedented levels of detail into the extent, thickness, and behavior of the ancient icefield, as well as the configuration and behavior of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet in its early days.
The report was published in the latest edition of the Geological Society of America Bulletin (pay for article).
Lead author, Dr. Neil Ross, from Newcastle University, said: “The discovery of this huge trough, and the characterization of the surrounding mountainous landscape, was incredibly serendipitous.
“We had acquired ice-penetrating radar data from both ends of this huge hidden valley, but we had no information to tell us what was in between. Satellite data was used to fill the gap, because despite being covered beneath several kilometres of ice, the valley is so vast that it can be seen from space.
“To me, this just goes to demonstrate how little we still know about the surface of our own planet. The discovery and exploration of hidden, previously unknown landscapes is still possible and incredibly exciting, even now.”
Story via: bris.ac.uk
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