A tiny world from 34 million years ago discovered under Antarctica: “It’s like a time capsule”

The Canadian satellite RADARSAT has uncovered a hidden, untouched landscape dating back more than 34 million years. The discovery lies beneath a layer of ice spanning over 10 million square kilometers and has opened up new avenues of scientific research.

The satellite’s technology, coordinated by Stewart Jamieson from Durham University, detected subtle changes in the surface of the ice. It revealed a landmass roughly the size of Wales, with signs of an ancient riverbed.

“It’s like discovering a time capsule,” said Jamieson. The landscape, buried under nearly two kilometers of ice, appears to have been preserved since before glaciation began, retaining features that existed long before the region became a frozen desert.

A response to climate change

The discovery is paving the way for new studies, particularly around how the ice sheet might respond to rising temperatures. It shows that ice can preserve ancient terrains, offering scientists a glimpse into how Earth’s surface has reacted to past episodes of extreme climate change.

Jamieson explained, “We’ve long been interested in the shape of the land beneath the ice sheet,” adding, “What we’re seeing here is likely a very old landscape, carved by rivers before the ice sheet even existed.”

The research also supports the idea that Antarctica, when it was still part of the supercontinent Gondwana along with South America, Australia and Africa, was once covered by forests and rivers – a habitat where dinosaurs once roamed. This helps scientists understand how river activity helped shape the terrain before global cooling set in.

Canadian technology at the heart

RADARSAT’s advanced technology played a key role in analyzing changes in glacier slope. Radar echo sounding (RES) studies revealed signs of erosion caused by river activity long before the ice sheet formed – a finding supported by topographic features that don’t match current models.

The East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) began forming around 34 million years ago, triggered by dropping temperatures and falling CO₂ levels. Ice layers that began accumulating in areas like the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains gradually fused into the glaciers we see today.

The EAIS has since gone through several advances – such as during the Pleistocene – and retreats, like in the Pliocene. This dynamic history is crucial for understanding how temperature increases affect polar regions.

“Understanding how this vast ice sheet might respond to human-induced climate change is an urgent concern,” Jamieson told Nature Communications.

Antarctica’s fragile surface

The study underscores the need to monitor Antarctica’s ice sheets more closely to improve prediction models and strategies for confronting climate change. Lower-elevation areas are particularly vulnerable, as they could significantly contribute to sea level rise.

Studies like this one connect Earth’s past, present and future. Thanks to technological advances, geological records are revealing previously hidden landscapes, helping us better grasp what lies ahead for humanity in the face of a warming world.

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