34-Million-Year-Old Hidden World Found Beneath Antarctic Ice

A team of scientists has uncovered a vast ancient terrain buried beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, offering a glimpse into a prehistoric ecosystem that existed over 34 million years ago. The discovery, made using satellite observations and ice-penetrating radar, revealed a remarkably preserved landscape featuring rivers, valleys, and remnants of forested areas that once supported plant life, including palm trees.

The newly identified terrain lies beneath more than a mile of ice in an area known as Wilkes Land, a remote sector of East Antarctica. Covering an estimated 12,000 square miles, the landscape includes complex geological features such as valleys, ridges, and elevated plateaus. Researchers likened the finding to unearthing a natural time capsule, sealed off from surface conditions for millions of years.

Shifting Continents and the Birth of Antarctic Ice

Geological data suggests that this portion of East Antarctica was once part of the supercontinent Gondwana. As tectonic movements caused Gondwana to fragment, landmasses like Wilkes Land migrated southward. This continental drift eventually isolated Antarctica, leading to the development of a powerful circumpolar ocean current that prevented warmer waters from reaching the continent.

The combination of ocean isolation and declining atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations triggered significant global cooling, ultimately resulting in the widespread glaciation of Antarctica. Around 14 million years ago, the East Antarctic Ice Sheet expanded further, covering the area now known to harbor this ancient land surface.

Preserved Features Beneath the Ice Sheet

The radar data revealed dramatic topography, including deep valleys nearly 3,900 feet deep separating three massive elevated blocks. These blocks stretch between 120 and 168 kilometers in length and up to 85 kilometers in width. The landscape’s preservation has been attributed to the cold and stable nature of the ice sheet above it.

Unlike other glacial environments where the base of the ice sheet can melt and erode underlying rock, the East Antarctic Ice Sheet is classified as “cold-based,” meaning the ice is frozen directly to the ground. As a result, the buried land has remained largely undisturbed by glacial activity, with minimal erosion over time. The slow rate of ice movement—only about 16 feet per year—has further contributed to this exceptional preservation.

Implications for Understanding Earth’s Glacial History

Researchers from Durham University and Newcastle University were instrumental in analyzing the data and interpreting the subsurface features. Lead researcher Professor Stewart Jamieson from Durham noted that the terrain beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet remains less explored than the surface of Mars. He emphasized that the preserved landscape appears to have formed through river activity before the onset of glaciation.

Neil Ross, an environmental geophysicist at Newcastle and co-author of the study, highlighted that this hidden landform offers a rare opportunity to investigate the ancient evolution of Antarctica’s ice cover. According to Ross, the region has remained concealed despite its potential to provide critical insights into the development and behavior of long-standing glacial systems.

Technological Insights and Ice Sheet Dynamics

The discovery was made possible by detecting subtle surface undulations in satellite imagery. These slight irregularities hinted at variations in the underlying bedrock topography. Computer modeling, paired with radar data, helped reconstruct the landscape’s features and dynamics. The immense pressure of the overlying ice has also caused portions of the terrain to rebound upward by as much as 1,600 feet due to glacial isostatic adjustment.