Antarctica wasn’t always a frozen landscape. In fact, it may have once featured lush forests, palm trees, and rivers, according to new research published in the journal Nature Communications.
“This finding is like opening a time capsule,” Professor Stewart Jamieson, who co-authored the study, told The Economic Times.
Groundbreaking study
Researchers began the study in 2017, extracting sediment from the once-thriving ecosystem frozen in time for tens of millions of years beneath the ice, The Jerusalem Post reported. They drilled more than a mile underneath the ice and used satellite imagery to explore what the ancient environment may have looked like some 34 million years ago.
According to Jamieson, the prehistoric landscape of Antarctica remains very much a mystery to researchers.
“The land underneath the East Antarctic ice sheet is less well-known than the surface of Mars,” Jamieson said. “We’re investigating a small part of that landscape with more detail to see what I can tell us about the evolution of the landscape and the evolution of the ice sheet.”
What researchers found
With the help of advanced technology, scientists detected land divided by rivers and valleys roughly 25 miles wide and with depths of nearly 3,900 feet. Geologists believe the landscape underneath the ice located in the eastern part of the continent spans more than 12,000 square miles — roughly the size of Maryland.
What findings suggest
The study indicates that the ancient land developed prior to the first large-scale freeze over of Antarctica, when the supercontinent known as Gondwana began to break apart. The shift in tectonic plates led to deep cracks and created mountainous terrain.
The Economic Times reported that during this prehistoric period, the landscape featured rivers and dense tree cover, and the climate was warm or even tropical.
“It’s difficult to say exactly what this ancient landscape looked like, but depending on how far back you go, the climate may have resembled modern-day Patagonia or even something tropical,” Jamieson said.
Researchers said samples taken from beneath the ice also reveal much more biodiversity in organisms, suggesting a much warmer climate than today.
Ultimate goal
Scientists aim to study the once-hidden landscape even more, including how it was formed, to help them more accurately forecast melting on the continent now.
“It is remarkable that this landscape, hidden in plain sight for many years, can tell us so much about the early and long-term history of the East Antarctic ice sheet,” Professor Neil Ross, a geophysical expert as well as a co-author of the study, told the Daily Mail. “It also helps us understand how it might evolve in response to future climate change.”
Source : https://san.com/cc/researchers-find-ancient-world-of-forests-and-rivers-under-antarcticas-ice/
