Scientists have discovered 332 hidden submarine canyons beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet, five times more than previously known. Some canyons reach depths of up to 13,000 feet, and with only 27% of the sea floor mapped in detail, many more canyons are likely undiscovered. Turbidity currents carve these trenches, which are larger and deeper than canyons in other regions due to polar ice and sediment transport by glaciers. These canyons are vital for ocean processes and biodiversity but remain understudied.
"The most spectacular of these are in East Antarctica, which is characterized by complex, branching canyon systems."
"Like those in the Arctic, Antarctic submarine canyons resemble canyons in other parts of the world. But they tend to be larger and deeper because of the prolonged action of polar ice and the immense volumes of sediment transported by glaciers to the continental shelf."
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