A hidden ancient landscape has been found buried under over a mile of ice in East Antarctica's Wilkes Land. This area, roughly the size of Belgium, appears to have hosted rivers and forests, with evidence including palm tree pollen found along the coast. The landscape spans over 12,000 square miles, and researchers highlight how this discovery leads to a better understanding of Antarctica's transformation into a frozen desert due to continental shifts and dropping carbon dioxide levels. The findings encourage further exploration of the continent's ancient history.
It's like uncovering a time capsule,' said Professor Stewart Jamieson, lead author of the study from Durham University.
The land underneath the East Antarctic ice sheet is less well-known than the surface of Mars,' said Stewart Jamieson, lead author of the study and a professor of geography at Durham University.
We're investigating a small part of that landscape in more detail to see what it can tell us about the evolution of the landscape and the evolution of the ice sheet,' said professor Jamieson.
Researchers estimate the buried landscape spans more than 12,000 square miles, about the size of Maryland.
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