New ultra-detailed map reveals Antarctica’s vast hidden landscape under ice
“Researchers have unveiled a far more detailed look at Antarctica’s hidden bedrock, exposing mountains, canyons and thousands of newly mapped features beneath the ice.”
Key points
- Researchers have unveiled a far more detailed look at Antarctica’s hidden bedrock, exposing mountains, canyons and thousands of newly mapped features beneath the ice.
- The improved terrain data is expected to sharpen climate and ice-sheet modelling.
Scientists have produced a highly detailed map of Antarctica’s landscape hidden beneath the ice sheet, revealing a complex terrain of mountain ranges, canyons, and tens of thousands of previously unmapped hills and valleys.
The report says the work was published in the journal Science and relied on a method described as Ice Flow Perturbation Analysis, using high-resolution satellite imagery to infer the shape of the bedrock below the ice.
Researchers highlighted that understanding the continent’s underlying topography is critical for modelling how Antarctica’s ice may respond to a warming climate. The newly mapped terrain includes striking features such as long, steep-sided valleys and sharp, alpine-like formations that can influence how ice moves and melts.
The findings were also placed in the context of global risk, noting Antarctica’s enormous freshwater reserves and the importance of improved “ground truth” data for future projections.
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