Using radar to scan Antarctica, found a 'radiator' twice as large as London: Experts warn!

Antarctica's ice contains the largest freshwater reservoirs on our planet - accounting for about 70% of the world's fresh water - and is currently losing ice, contributing to sea level rise.

According to the general trend of global warming, Antarctica is considered as "Earth's last pure land". More than 80 scientists from around the world have submitted the most comprehensive study of Antarctic ice loss ever conducted through analysis of satellite data.

Research shows that, in the 25 years between 1992 and 2017, Antarctica lost a total of 3,000 billion tons of ice, and global sea levels increased by 7.6 mm! This number may seem too small to be easily discernible, but what worries scientists is that Antarctica's ice sheet has tended to lose rapidly over the past 25 years, and ice loss could increase even further. in the context of an increasingly complex global warming.

Antarctica is an icy and snowy place with a minimum temperature of minus 80 degrees, making it the coldest place on Earth. The underground geological activity in Antarctica is also considered quiet, with old cold rocks like the fossilized bones of dinosaurs, remaining unchanged for millions of years.

Unexpected discovery under Antarctic ice

Using radar to peer through the 3,000m-deep ice, the team found that some of the ice sheets - covering an area twice the size of London - appeared to be missing.

When scientists noticed that the base of the Antarctic ice sheet was melting unusually fast, scientists asked questions and found answers:

Unexpectedly, an unusual "hot furnace" was discovered under the East Antarctic ice sheet. Its extreme heat melted an area of ​​5,000 square kilometers, directly leading to the expansion and sagging of the ice sheet.

Specifically, in a 2018 survey by the British Antarctic Survey found that a huge "radiator", about twice the size of London, lay beneath the solid rock of the Southeast Ice Sheet. Polar, melting the Antarctic ice sheet from the bottom, the Antarctic Survey says on its website.

The British Antarctic Survey's Twin Otter aircraft flew over the South Pole Station in Antarctica.

"The melting process that we observe probably has been going on for thousands or even millions of years and does not directly contribute to the change of the ice sheet. However, in the future, the excess water at the ice layer could make the region more sensitive to external factors such as climate change" - lead author, PhD, geophysicist Tom Jordan from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) know.

Scientists warn, this "radioator" not only causes glaciers to melt, causing sea levels to rise (with unpredictable consequences for coastal cities), but even entails the collapse of the ocean. snow-covered mountains, which will bring many potential disasters for adventure lovers in Antarctica; Above all, it affects the Earth's climate.

BAS aircraft data collection study as part of the PolarGAP project. This international project, funded by the European Space Agency (ESA), with researchers from Norway, Denmark and the UK, aims to fill the gap in satellite data around Antarctica.

Dissection "hot furnace"

Time of existence

To decipher the mysteries surrounding this giant "radiator", researchers have embarked on exploration. However, this is not easy, they can only draw some inferential conclusions based on the only data, that is, this furnace has been there for at least thousands of years.

The making progress

The team believes that this huge heat source is a combination of unusual radioactive rocks from the Precambrian period and hot water from deep underground (from the geothermal cycle system of faults in the area). that area). Both of these processes simultaneously influence the formation of the "radioactive furnace".

The graphic shows an image of a hot rock furnace deep below Antarctica.

In addition, these findings add to our understanding of the subglacial hydrology of the Antarctic continent.

This new study explains how an unusually high amount of geothermal heat has melted the base of the ice, leading to the upper layers of ice sagging to the bottom.

"This is a really exciting project, exploring one of the last completely uncharted regions on our planet. Our results were quite surprising, because many people think this Antarctic region is this. is made up of old, cold rocks, with little effect on the ice above. The discovery shows that even in the ancient continent's interior, the underlying geology could have had a significant impact on the ice" - Dr. Tom Jordan adds.

For a long time, scientists predicted the retreat of glaciers mainly by observing glaciers and ice shelves at the poles from above via satellite. Today, however, experts know that not only is the upper part of the glacier shrinking, but the underwater part is also shrinking - silently.

Parts of Antarctica's ice are up to 2,000m deep on average. If these underwater glaciers melted, they would pose a real threat. Because, only a small part of the glacier is actually above the sea surface, and most of it is hidden underwater.

The dividing line between the floating ice shelf and the permanent ice sheet below it is called the ground line, and is examined to determine the size and rate of glacier melting.

Because the thickness of the ice here already exceeds 3,000m, the researchers were only able to obtain relevant data on the ice and reef layers by scanning the Antarctic region with airborne ice-penetrating radar.

Geothermal mapping

After identifying a "radioactive furnace" beneath Antarctica, international scientists conducted geothermal mapping at a depth of thousands of meters.

Highest resolution map of geothermal under Antarctic ice.

The data used comes from magnetic field measurements mainly collected by aircraft flying over the continent, and the results show "hot spots" in Antarctica and on the Antarctic Peninsula, which are rapidly changing areas. of the Antarctic Ice Sheet.

This new geothermal map escaping from the Earth's interior will help improve our understanding of conditions at the bottom of the ice sheet, improving our ability to understand the past and predict future changes in the ice sheet. in Antarctica and its impact on global sea levels, say experts involved in the work.

Directly measuring heat from the Earth's interior beneath 3-4 kilometers of ice in extremely cold and extreme conditions is extremely difficult. That's why we used magnetic field data to deduce the heat and we are pleased that what we got is 30-50% more accurate than previous studies.

These are the revolutionary first results of international scientists working together to solve the mysteries of the most challenging region of our planet.

Mapping the West Antarctic Glacier Bottom

In addition to studying the ice in East Antarctica, scientists from the Antarctic Survey also conducted a study on the West Antarctic, where the Pine Island Glacier is considered the fastest melting glacier in the South. Pole, causing about 25% of the ice loss in Antarctica.

Pine Island Glacier is considered the fastest melting glacier in Antarctica.

Accordingly, the scientists created high-resolution maps of the bottom of Pine Island Glacier, helping them predict future sea level rise from this area. Radar surveys of the land beneath Pine Island Glacier have revealed a varied landscape under the ice with some surprises.

The finding is significant because Pine Island Glacier not only melts rapidly, but its meltwater accounts for 10% of global sea level rise. The amount of sea ice in the region is expected to increase as the climate warms and the West Antarctic ice sheet continues to thin.

The study found that the varied nature of the terrain beneath the glacier is the biggest factor influencing the flow of ice across the landscape. Scientists will incorporate the new findings into computer models used to predict the future of glaciers.

Antarctica has an extensive network of sub-glacial rivers and lakes that affect how the ice sheet moves over them. Any simulation of how the Antarctic continent will respond to future warming must take into account the water system in the ground.

This discovery involves drilling for the oldest ice cover on the continent. Scientists are now looking for evidence that can record the incessant snowfall on the Antarctic continent more than 1.5 million years ago.

Antarctica is the largest freshwater reservoir on Earth. If it melts, it has the potential to significantly raise global sea levels. For island nations and coastal cities, this is a real danger.

Therefore, studying and understanding Antarctica's glaciers is the best human being can do to deal with one of the terrifying scenarios associated with worldwide sea level rise.