[ad_1]
Scientists were left puzzled after discovering a zone of the South Pole melting under the effect of heat, three kilometers below the surface.
With the help of a radar, researchers discovered an area twice as large as Greater London, which appeared to be affected.
The team thinks that this could be a combination of unusually radioactive rocks and hot water coming from underground depths, but they are surprised to see how this could be possible.
This heat has melted the base and produced water that flows under the ice layer and pulls the surface down.
"The merger process we are observing has probably lasted for thousands, even millions of years," said Dr. Tom Jordan of the British Antarctic Survey.
"The merger process we're seeing is probably going on for thousands, if not millions, of years"
Dr. Tom Jordan
"In the future, the excess water in the ice cover could make this region more sensitive to external factors such as climate change."
The study used data collected with a BAS aircraft as part of the PolarGAP project.
Founded by the European Space Agency, the international project is being used to fill satellite gravity data gaps.
BAFFLED: Scientists could not believe what they had found. (Pic: GETTY)
Dr. Jordan added, "This project was really exciting as it explored one of the last areas of the planet totally untested.
"Our results were quite unexpected, because many people thought that this region of Antarctica was made of old and cold rocks, which had little impact on the ice cap above.
"We show that even in the old continental interior, the underlying geology can have a significant impact on the ice."
This discovery comes less than a week after scientists discovered "long lost continents" beneath Antarctica.
Source link
