What lies beneath the ice...

Antarctica, as you may or may not know, is actually more than just a large floating block of ice. Beneath all the glaciers, snow and ice is a continent of rock. Because the continent is covered in a massive amount of ice, we have had very limited knowledge as to what the continent underneath looks like.

Now, thanks to the hard work of the scientists at the British Antarctic Survey, all that is changing.

To see their full article CLICK HERE

Using a number of techniques including radio echo sounding, satellite readings, and seismic techniques, the British Antarctic Survey has been hard at work making Bedmap2, the most detailed map ever created of the Antarctic continent.

Antarctica without ice
(Courtesy of the British Antarctic Survey).

Already the survey has revealed some interesting results. For instance, the survey has revealed that the amount ice on the continent is actually 4.6% greater than what was originally estimated. The team has also found an area underneath Byrd Glacier that is 2,870 meters (9416 ft) below sea level, making it the world record holder for lowest point on a continental plate. 

In the teams press release, the studies co-lead author Dr. Hamish Pritchard says,

"The Bedmap2 project is about more than making a map of the landscape. The data we've put together on the height and thickness of the ice and the shape of the landscape below are fundamental to modelling the behaviour of the ice sheet in the future. This matters because in some places, ice along the edges of Antarctica is being lost rapidly to the sea, driving up sea level. Knowing how much the sea will rise is of global importance, and these maps are a step towards that goal."

For more information about the Bedmap2 projects, and some really cool videos of Antarctica without ice, CLICK HERE


By Ben Segee