Scientists make surprising discovery about what lies under Antarctic ice sheet after its been covered in ice for 34 million years

Scientists person made a astonishing find astir what lies nether the Antarctic crystal sheet.

Covered successful crystal for astir 34 cardinal years, a caller survey has discovered much astir what erstwhile was.

Researchers from the UK's precise ain Durham University examined radar information from a fig of Antarctic surveys to larn much astir the ‘hidden landscape’.

“The scenery hidden beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet is 1 of the astir mysterious not conscionable connected Earth, but connected immoderate terrestrial satellite successful the solar system,” explained Dr Guy Paxman, pb writer of the survey and a Royal Society University Research Fellow.

It’s comparatively good known that overmuch of the aboveground hidden beneath the expanse of crystal consists of mountains, heavy troughs and valleys.

Antarctica has a large aged crystal expanse (Frances M. Ginter/Getty Images)

However, this batch of scientists person recovered extended level surfaces created by rivers that flowed crossed the spot astir 80 whopping cardinal years agone - earlier crystal covered the continent.

“We’ve agelong been intrigued and puzzled astir fragments of grounds for ‘flat’ landscapes beneath the Antarctic crystal sheets. This survey brings the jigsaw pieces of information together, to uncover the large picture,” co-author Professor Neil Ross from Newcastle University said.

The squad discovered 31 chiseled level surfaces spanning 40 percent of the coastline of East Antarctica and it’s said the country preserves what is fundamentally a ‘lost world’.

Another co-author, Professor Stewart Jamieson, said: “It’s hard to accidental precisely what this past scenery looked like, but depending connected however acold backmost you go, the clime mightiness person resembled modern-day Patagonia, oregon adjacent thing tropical.”

The study, published successful the diary Nature Geoscience, besides recovered that the crystal supra these discovered level surfaces is moving a batch much slowly.

It seems the level areas enactment arsenic a spot of a obstruction to crystal flow, portion the nonaccomplishment of crystal from Antarctica is expanding (ramped up by planetary warming).

The researchers precocious published their findings (Paxman et al/Nature Geoscience)

Knowing astir the beingness of these level surfaces down determination tin beryllium adjuvant for researchers to foretell however the large aged crystal expanse whitethorn respond to clime change.

“The level surfaces we person recovered person managed to past comparatively intact for implicit 30 cardinal years, indicating that parts of the crystal expanse person preserved alternatively than eroded the landscape,” Dr Paxman explained.

“Information specified arsenic the signifier and geology of the recently mapped surfaces volition assistance amended our knowing of however crystal flows astatine the borderline of East Antarctica.

“This successful crook volition assistance marque it easier to foretell however the East Antarctic Ice Sheet could impact oversea levels nether antithetic levels of clime warming successful the future.”