Scientists find evidence of Gondwana fragments beneath Antarctica using zircons
Turns out, Antarctica has been keeping a massive secret.
Scientists just found evidence of fragments of the ancient supercontinent Gondwana buried deep beneath its ice.
Using natural minerals called zircons to map things out, researchers discovered that Gondwana, which existed about 500 million years ago and included present-day Africa, South America, Australia, the Indian subcontinent, and Antarctica itself, still leaves its mark under the frozen surface.
Antarctica supplied nearly half ancient minerals
The study shows Antarctica played a huge role in Gondwana's formation during a time when life on Earth was exploding with new species.
Nearly half of certain ancient minerals from that era actually came from Antarctica!
Even cooler: there might be mountain ranges under the ice as big as the Himalayas, possibly shaping how life evolved on our planet.
This discovery gives us fresh clues about Earth's wild past and why studying these hidden landscapes really matters.