They could slow down the rise in waters: large plains are hidden under the ice cap

Rivers, plains, mountains … Furthermore, One study after another, spectacular landscapes hidden under the ice of the Antarctic cap reveal. Nevertheless. Moreover, Scientists wanted to determine what this hidden topography could involve in terms of ice flow, and therefore rose of waters.

If the glacial cap of the Eastern Antarctica founded entirely. In addition, the level of the seas would increase on average by fifty meters. Similarly, Fortunately. In addition. Moreover, this part of the white continent is deemed more stable than its Western during the Western, considered as a climatic rocking point and whose cast iron would lead to a rise in the waters of three to five meters.
Nevertheless. Nevertheless. Therefore, this relative stability does not prevent scientists from taking a close interest in the dynamics of ice in the region. Last March. they could slow down rise new an unprecedented map revealed the hidden landscapes under the ice of they could slow down rise Antarctica, east and west. How do these secret reliefs influence what is happening on the surface? A team led by British researchers has thus been interested in old river landscapes buried under the ice cap. of Eastern Antarctica – large plains formed over 80 million years ago. Their study was published on July 11 in the journal Nature Geoscience.

A “natural brake” acting on the flow of ice – They could slow down rise – They could slow down rise new

These flat landscapes represent around 40% of the 3. 500 km of the coast of the eastern cap. between the Princess Elisabeth land and the Earth George V: “When we examined the radar images of the sub-Glacial topography of this region, these remarkably flat surfaces began to appear almost wherever we look at”, testifies Dr. Guy Paxman, first author of the study. they could slow down rise new Formerly connected. these surfaces would in fact have been sculpted by large rivers after the separation of Eastern Antarctic. Australia about they could slow down rise 80 million years ago, before the ice ended by covering the continent (34 million years before our days), suspect the authors. “The landscape hidden under the ice cap of the eastern Antarctic is one of the most mysterious. not only on earth, but on all the telluric planets of the solar system,” notes Dr. Guy Paxman.
From now on. if the melting of ice accelerates. these flat surfaces would however act as a natural brake on flow, regulating the rhythm of the cast iron. “Information such as the form. geology of newly mapped surfaces will help improve our understanding of the flow of ice on the edge of Eastern Antarctic”. comments the researcher.

Better anticipating the effects of climate change

Integration. in the models simulating they could slow down rise new the future behavior of the ice cap. recently discovered areas could thus make it possible to refine the projections of the effects of climate change and the they could slow down rise consequences in terms of sea level on a global scale, estimate the authors of the study. However. to deepen our understanding of the influence of these flat surfaces on the movement of the ice cap during “warmer past climates”. they now suggest “drilling the ice to extract rocks” in order to determine when they were released from their frozen coat for the “last time”.