Beneath the thick ice of Antarctica, scientists have discovered an amazing hidden world. There are large mountain ranges, deep valleys, and even volcanoes buried under the ice sheet. These features are not visible from the surface, but special tools like radar and satellite imaging have revealed what lies below.
One major discovery is the Gamburtsev Mountain Range, a huge group of mountains about the size of the Alps. These mountains are completely buried under ice, yet they stretch over 1,200 kilometers. Scientists believe they formed over a billion years ago and may have helped shape the modern ice sheet.
There are also many volcanoes under the Antarctic ice. One of the most well-known is Mount Erebus, an active volcano on Ross Island. But scientists have found around 138 other volcanoes, some possibly still active, hidden beneath the ice in West Antarctica. This region is considered one of the most volcanically active places on Earth.
Underneath the ice, there are also subglacial lakes, such as Lake Vostok, one of the largest. These lakes stay liquid because of heat from the Earth and pressure from the ice above.
This hidden landscape is still being explored. It helps scientists understand Earth’s history, climate, and how the ice sheet might behave in the future.
Subscribe for more educational content and unlock knowledge every day with FactTechz!
54,917