NEW YORK: The first detailed information about the hidden landscape under Antarctica’s ice sheet has been disclosed by scientists and it has already opened up a whole new world of geological features that are previously unknown to mankind.
The researchers are of the opinion that the vast ice cover of Antarctica has been a major barrier to the study of the frozen surface for a long time. But, with the help of cutting-edge mapping techniques, the scientists have at last reached the point where they can almost unveil the continent’s buried terrain.
A combination of high-resolution satellite data and the physics of glacier movement were applied in the study to map the land underneath the ice. This set of state-of-the-art technologies enabled the researchers to depict the underlying topography with extraordinary precision.
The results indicate that a complete range of peaks, valleys, deep narrow gorges, and large plains can be found under the ice of Antarctica. The new set of data includes the geographical features of the largest mountain ranges and widest valleys in detail, which is one of the most astonishing discoveries ever about the frozen continent.
The experts claim that the discovery opens a new window to look into the geological history of Antarctica and it may also be a way through which scientists could learn more about ice sheets’ behavior during climate change.
Scientists claim first evidence of lightning on Mars
Meanwhile, astronomers stated they have obtained proof of lightning activity on Mars, representing a revolutionary breakthrough in the study of the Martian atmosphere.
International news sources report that NASA’s Perseverance rover, which touched down on Mars in 2021 to investigate evidence of life has been studying the Jezero Crater area for the last four years.
The observed lightning event was identified via sound and electromagnetic data captured by the rover’s SuperCam device equipped with microphones and sophisticated sensors.
Researchers suggest that confirming these results might require deploying devices able to detect atmospheric electrical activity and cameras with greater sensitivity on upcoming Mars expeditions.
A French research group listened to the audio of the rover in Mars, which was more than two Martian years long (equal to 1,374 Earth days), for 28 hours.
Their results show that these are gaseous electrical discharges being associated with dust storms and Martian wind events most of the times, which in turn implies that lightning on Mars may happen under certain atmospheric conditions.
