Scientists Uncover 2,000-Km Antarctic Basin Megastructure Beneath 27 Million Cubic Kilometers of Ice
Updated
Updated · VICE · Jun 13
Scientists Uncover 2,000-Km Antarctic Basin Megastructure Beneath 27 Million Cubic Kilometers of Ice
1 articles · Updated · VICE · Jun 13
Summary
A Nature Geoscience study identified the East Antarctic Fan-Shaped Basin Province, a continent-scale network linking previously known basins and buried deep under East Antarctica.
Researchers found the structure by combining decades of seismic, radar and subglacial topography data with models of how the land would rebound if Antarctica’s 27 million cubic kilometers of ice were removed.
The reconstruction showed basins radiating from a point near the South Pole along about 2,000 kilometers of coastline, pointing to formation by rotational extension of Earth’s crust.
Because the basins lie beneath roughly half of the East Antarctic ice sheet, about 2 miles down, they could strongly shape ice flow by channeling movement along the underlying bedrock.
That baseline map could improve forecasts of how Antarctica’s ice will respond as climate change accelerates future ice-sheet movement.
What secrets of a lost supercontinent are revealed by this vast new map of Antarctica's bedrock?
How will a hidden, continent-sized basin under Antarctica rewrite our sea-level rise predictions?
Does this massive subglacial discovery mean the collapse of East Antarctica's ice is now inevitable?
Unveiling the East Antarctic Fan-shaped Basin Province: How a Continent-Scale Subglacial Structure Shapes Ice Flow and Climate Risk
Overview
Scientists have recently discovered the East Antarctic Fan-shaped Basin Province (EAFBP), a massive structure hidden beneath East Antarctica's ice sheet. This breakthrough is crucial for understanding how Antarctica formed and changed over millions of years. By mapping the EAFBP's shape and features, researchers gain new insights into the continent's geological history and its links to ancient supercontinents. Importantly, the EAFBP's bedrock influences how ice moves today, as its topography creates pathways or barriers that control the speed and direction of glacial flow. This discovery reshapes our view of Antarctica's past and its future stability.