An international team of experts have mapped a huge, incredibly old
location, mentioned in the notes of a Russian explorer from half a
century ago, buried under hundreds of meters of ice. In an amazing
break with tradition this process did not result in the unleashing of
ancient horrors, a self-destruct sequence, alien invasion or anyone
shooting at Indiana Jones. They’ve examined the entire Gamburtsev
mountain range, 700 meters tall and buried under a kilometer of
Antarctica.
The team used an array of tools including seismic wave reflection,
radar, and precise gravitational measurements to map the frozen
features - there are a lot more differences between ice and rock than
“one works in drinks”, and they used them all. If “Sub-Antarctic
Mountain Range” isn’t good enough for you, the valleys between the
peaks come complete with rivers and lakes - yes, lakes. Under the
ice. At the South Pole.
The mountains are a massive mystery - they seem to be half a billion
years old, but on a tectonic scale you can’t just say “that’s a long
time ago so who cares.” There are no other indications of such titanic
tectonics in the area at the time, and the range has none of the signs
of volcanic formation. Which is a pity, as volcanoes erupting into
thousands of tons of solid ice is probably the only way this incredible
landscape could sound any more awesome.
The researchers predicted a flat plateau, but instead found a range
similar in height and shape to the Alps - with massive peaks as high as
Mount Blanc and deep valleys.
Water, turned to liquid due to the
pressure of East Antarctic Ice Sheet above, could be seen in rivers and
lakes nestled in valleys. One lake, Vostok, a possible living
biological lab of ancient lifeforms, was an incredible 300 kilometers.
Scientists
hope the findings will aid predictions about the effects of climate
change on ice sheets and challenge long-held views that the ice sheet
formed over millions of years.The new research suggests they formed in
a fraction of the time and the area could have been ice free at some
points in history.
This means any rapid fluctuation in global
temperature could have a much faster effect on the formation of ice
sheets than previously thought
Posted by Luke McKinney
Related Galaxy posts:
Secrets of Antarctica’s 15-Million Year-Old Lake -A Galaxy Classic
World’s Oldest Living Microbes May Cast Light on Aging & Life on Mars
Will Jupiter’s Moon -Europa- Provide the 1st Proof of Extraterrestrial Life? -A Galaxy Insight
Ancient Antarctic Microbes Revived in Lab
Antarctica -Mapping The White Continent
Links:
http://www.unspecial.org/UNS633/UNS_633_T13.htm
A PDF on the Vostok drilling
Wiki to Vostok -
Wiki on the Antarctic Treaty
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