Scientists find 30 connected basins under East Antarctic ice sheet
Turns out, the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, one of the world's largest ice sheets, may not be sitting on solid ground after all.
Scientists discovered it is actually hiding 30 connected pull-apart basins underneath, forming a new region called the East Antarctic Fan-Shaped Basin Province (EAFBP).
This flips what we thought we knew about how stable all that ice really is.
Basins influence ice flow and melt
These basins underlie about half the ice sheet and actually help shape how the ice moves and melts.
Some fault lines nearby could help promote outward flow of ice streams toward the ocean, which is not great news for sea levels.
As geologist John Goodge puts it, this discovery is a big deal for understanding how heat and water under the ice affect its stability, especially as our climate keeps changing.