Relics of 'lost continents' hidden under Antarctica are revealed by satellite images

The European Space Agency (ESA) has uncovered relics of lost continents that have hidden under Antarctica for millions of years.

Satellite images reveal a timeline of the ancient landmbades buried at 1.6 km beneath the icy continent, the Daily Mail

Scientists said the snaps shed new light on Antarctica, the "least understood continent on Earth".

They used data from the long-dead Gravity field and Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE), which plummeted into Earth after it was out of fuel in 2013.

While the satellite has been out of action for five years, scientists are still collecting Earth's gravitational pull.

A team of scientists used GOCE readings to map Out of the movements of Earth's tectonic plates under Antarctica.

200 million years ago, offering fresh insights into how Antarctica formed.

"These gravity im This article is about the author of Fausto Ferraccioli, the author of the paper Fausto Ferraccioli, Science Leader of Geology and Geophysics at the British Antarctic Survey

"In East Antarctica, we see an exciting mosaic of geological features that reveal fundamental similarities and differences between the crust beneath Antarctica and other continents it was joined to until 160 million years ago. "

Scientists combined the GOCE readings with seismological data to create 3D maps of Earth's lithosphere.

The lithosphere is made up of the crust and the molten mantle beneath Earth's surface, and includes mountain ranges, ocean backs and rocky areas called cratons.

Cratons are the leftovers of ancient continents embedded in continents as we know them today.

The new readings shed light on the breakup of Gondwana, a long-gone "supercontinent" that is now Antarctica.

While the landmbad split some 130 million years ago, the map shows that Antarctica and

The study also revealed that West Antarctica has a thinner crust than East Antarctica, which has a "family likeness to Australia and India".

Scientists hope to use their findings to study how Antarctica's geology and continental structure is affecting the melting of its ice.

GOCE mission scientist Roger Haagmans said: "It is exciting that the gravity gradients, which were measured for the first time ever with GOCE , leads to a fresh independent look inside the Earth [1965902] "1965, 1965," It also provides a context for the future of the continent. 1] [ad_2]
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