Unveiling Antarctica’s Ancient Secret: Massive Hidden Landmass Emerges After 34 Million Years
A new, enormous landmass, hidden and untouched for over 34 million years, has just been unveiled by scientists.
To put it in perspective, this discovery predates modern humans by about 170 times. It’s estimated to be larger than Belgium, but human-induced climate change could potentially expose it.
Stewart Jamieson, a glaciologist from the UK’s Durham University, remarked, “What is exciting is that it’s been hiding there in plain sight.” This hidden landscape was unveiled using radio waves sent to bounce off the East Antarctic Ice Sheet.
These radio signals were analyzed using “radio-echo sounding,” and satellites were employed to create images of what this hidden land might look like.
As scientists dug deeper into their research, they estimated that this land covers about 32,000 square kilometers. They believe it might have been a home to forests, diverse animals, and a thriving ecosystem.
The mystery of how this massive landmass ended up under the Antarctic ice sheet remains unsolved. However, scientists believe that it will be a “long way off” before this land sees the light of day again.
During the time it was exposed, Earth was at least 3-7°C warmer, and even with natural climate change (0.2°C every 11 years or so), it will take a millennium or more for this land to be exposed to the atmosphere once more.