New research by scientists in Britain and China reveals evidence of how the East Antarctic ice sheet initially formed. The work provides a snapshot of terrain that has lain hidden miles beneath the ice for millions of years, when rivers ran through mountain valleys that were oddly similar to the modern European Alps. The scientists used radar to map an area of the Gamburtsev mountains, believed to be where the ice originated. The region would have been cold enough to support the formation of the first glacier. The researchers said their findings provide important insight into how the ice sheet will behave as our climate changes. “This is the largest reservoir of ice on Earth, and the most poorly understood place on our planet,” said Fausto Ferraccioli, a scientist with the British Antarctic Survey, during an interview with BBC News. Ferraccioli, who is involved in a separate international project to study the region, said the elevation and location of the Gamburtsev Mountains made them an “ideal place” for the formation of the first ice. The findings of Sun Bo from China’s Polar Research Institute, the study’s leader, and his team provide additional insight into the evolution of the ice sheet.
Posted on: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 03:29:07 +0000
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