Scientists have uncovered a vast, prehistoric landscape hidden under more than a mile of East Antarctic ice – an ancient system of valleys and hills carved by rivers, likely once home to forests and life.
The region, larger than Belgium, has remained completely untouched since Antarctica froze over tens of millions of years ago. Now, researchers say human-driven climate change could one day expose it.
“It’s like discovering a lost world,” said Professor Stewart Jamieson, glaciologist at Durham University and lead author of the study published in Nature Communications. “It’s been hiding in plain sight.”
The team used a combination of satellite imagery and radio-echo sounding – a method where planes beam radio waves through the ice and measure echoes – to map the unseen terrain. What emerged was a stunning landscape: jagged peaks, plunging valleys, and steep ridges shaped by ancient rivers before ice covered the continent.
The frozen terrain lies 1.6 miles beneath the surface in East Antarctica, in a region roughly 12,000 square miles in size.
While the exact timing is uncertain, they estimate the land last saw sunlight at least 14 million years ago – and likely more than 34 million years, when Antarctica first transitioned into a frozen desert.
Unlike most glacial terrain, where moving ice grinds away the underlying rock, the ice here has remained relatively stationary. That’s why the landscape beneath is so perfectly preserved – almost like a natural time capsule.
Scientists warn, however, that this untouched landscape is vulnerable. If Earth’s climate continues warming, the region could eventually be exposed. Temperatures between 3°C and 7°C warmer than today – similar to conditions between 14 and 34 million years ago – could trigger significant melting.
The team hopes to explore more of Antarctica’s hidden interior in the future, and possibly even drill down into this ancient terrain.
Read the full study:
“An ancient river landscape preserved beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet.” Nature Communications, 2023.