Antarctica is covered by an average layer of ice 2.2 kilometers thick. Unlike the Arctic in the Northern Hemisphere, beneath this layer of ice lies a continental landmass with rocky mountains, volcanoes, and huge canyons that have been carved out over millions of years.
Thanks to decades of satellite data and radar surveys, it is possible to see the “lumps and bumps” of long-lost bedrock with incredible clarity.
One of the most comprehensive maps of the world’s southernmost continental landmass is known as BedMachine Antarctica.
Released in 2019, the project was a massive undertaking involving 19 research institutes from around the world, including NASA, the National Science Foundation, the University of California Irvine, the Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centres Program, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the British Antarctic Survey and many more.
The full-length BedMachine Antarctica map image above.
Photo credit: BedMachine Antarctica
The map is a fascinating sight; like looking through X-ray glasses into the interior of an ice-covered continent. But it also has scientific potential. Using the map’s data, researchers can gain all sorts of insights into Antarctica’s geographical mysteries, from the continent’s topography to the future of its troubled ice sheets.
One of the map’s biggest surprises was the true extent of the canyon beneath the Denman Glacier. At 3,500 metres (11,500 feet) below sea level, the ice-filled Denman Trough is the lowest point on continental Earth.
“Older maps suggested a shallower canyon, but that wasn’t possible; something was missing. By combining existing radar surveys and ice motion data, we use conservation of mass to know how much ice is flowing through the canyon – which we calculate is 3,500 meters below sea level, the lowest point on land. Because it is relatively narrow, it must be deep for that much ice mass to reach the coast,” said Mathieu Morlighem, associate professor of Earth system science at the University of California, Irvine, in a 2019 statement.
Over 97 percent of Antarctica is covered in ice, which has encased large parts of the continent for millions and millions of years. At its thickest point, the ice is almost 4.9 kilometers thick – the equivalent of the height of six Burj Khalifas stacked on top of each other.
Ice, however, is only part of its extreme geography. A lesser-known feature of Antarctica is its volcanic tendencies. A 2017 study identified 138 volcanoes in West Antarctica alone. While most of them are dormant, eight or nine of Antarctica’s volcanoes are considered active. One of the continent’s wildest volcanoes is Mount Erebus, Antarctica’s tallest active volcano – with a summit elevation of 3,794 meters (12,448 feet) – and the southernmost active volcano on Earth.
It’s easy to imagine Antarctica as a frigid and, dare we say, boring ice cube at the bottom of our planet. But upon closer inspection, we see that it is a dynamic and monumental world full of mysteries and unexpected stories.
