Scientists discover a 34-million-year-old lost world beneath 2 kilometers of Antarctic ice

A groundbreaking discovery has been made beneath the ice sheet of East Antarctica, where researchers led by Stewart Jamieson from Durham University have uncovered an ancient river-carved landscape that has been preserved for over 34 million years.

This landscape, buried under nearly two kilometers of ice, has remained untouched since long before Antarctica became glaciated. The discovery offers an extraordinary glimpse into the continent’s past—an era when Antarctica was not the frozen desert we know today, but a habitable environment.

Published in *Nature Communications*, the discovery was made possible through advanced satellite technology, specifically the Canadian RADARSAT satellite system, which allowed the team to detect extremely subtle variations in the surface of the ice. These variations revealed the shape of the buried ground below, leading to the identification of a vast ancient landscape—approximately the size of Wales. What the team found was a river-carved terrain featuring valleys, ridges, and channels, all preserved beneath the thick ice.

According to Stewart Jamieson, discovering this ancient terrain is akin to “opening a time capsule.” The condition of the landscape suggests it has remained virtually unchanged for millions of years, preserved beneath the immense weight of the ice sheet. This ancient world is especially significant because it dates back to a time when Antarctica was part of the supercontinent Gondwana—an era long before the formation of the ice sheet. Back then, Antarctica was home to flowing rivers, forests, and even dinosaurs.

The newly revealed landscape helps to paint a very different picture of Antarctica—a continent that, millions of years ago, was far warmer and wetter than it is today. Instead of ice and snow, rivers once flowed across the land, and forests covered the terrain. This was a time when Antarctica was still connected to other landmasses in Gondwana, which included Africa, South America, and Australia.

The research team’s findings offer a rare glimpse into this prehistoric environment. According to the study, the ground beneath the ice has been frozen for millions of years, with glaciers only fully overtaking the continent about 20 million years ago. The discovery highlights how dramatically Antarctica’s climate has changed—from a lush, forested land to the cold, icy desert we know today.

Using a combination of RADARSAT satellite imagery and radio-echo sounding (RES) surveys conducted by the ICECAP (International Collaborative Exploration of the Cryosphere) project, the team mapped the complex subglacial topography. The study revealed valleys, ridges, and channels that indicate an ancient river system. These features suggest the landscape was once shaped by flowing water rather than ice, offering crucial insight into the climate and environmental conditions of ancient Antarctica.

The discovery of these river systems is important for several reasons. Not only do they provide clues about past environmental conditions, but they also help scientists better understand how ancient rivers shaped the land before glaciation began. The features observed in this ancient landscape have been preserved beneath the ice sheet, offering rare insights into Earth’s climatic history.

The study provides a new window into the evolution of the Antarctic ice sheet. The East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) began forming around 34 million years ago, during the Eocene-Oligocene transition, when global temperatures dropped and CO₂ levels fell below critical thresholds. Over millions of years, glaciers expanded and merged into the massive ice sheet we see today. Understanding the landscape beneath the ice is key to understanding how the ice sheet has changed over time.

The team’s findings suggest that the region’s topography was shaped by ancient rivers long before the ice sheet grew. Studying these subglacial features can help scientists understand the dynamics of the EAIS, which has undergone significant fluctuations throughout its history, including retreats during warmer climate intervals such as the mid-Pliocene and Pleistocene.

By mapping hidden mountain ranges, canyon systems, and lakes beneath the ice, the team has provided new insights into the past dynamics of the ice sheet and the role of ancient river networks in shaping its underlying terrain. The study’s results also carry important implications for predicting how the ice sheet may behave in the future in response to rising global temperatures.

The study used a combination of satellite technology and geophysical surveys to map the ancient landscape. The RADARSAT constellation proved invaluable in detecting subtle surface changes in the ice, revealing the contours of the land below. In addition, the team used radio-echo sounding (RES) to gather data about the subglacial terrain, offering a clearer view of the landscape’s topography.

Flexural modeling was also used to understand the landscape’s evolution. This modeling helped the team estimate how the surface of the land changed over time, especially under the forces of glaciation. The team found that the ancient land was shaped by river erosion before the formation of the ice sheet, suggesting that rivers played a significant role in sculpting Antarctica’s landscape millions of years ago.

The implications of these findings extend beyond understanding Antarctica’s past. The preservation of these ancient landscapes beneath the ice provides valuable data for predicting how the ice sheet may respond to modern climate change. As global temperatures rise, understanding the behavior of the EAIS is critical for forecasting sea level rise, since changes in the size and stability of the ice sheet can significantly impact global sea levels.

This research underscores the importance of continuous monitoring of the EAIS. By linking ancient landscape features to past climate conditions, scientists can improve models predicting the future behavior of the ice sheet. Such insights are essential for informing global strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change and prepare for the possible consequences of sea level rise.

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