Scientists map East Antarctic fan-shaped basin province published in Nature
Scientists just uncovered a gigantic geological structure called the East Antarctic Fan-shaped Basin Province, buried 3.22km beneath the ice.
This newly mapped feature connects earlier discoveries like the Wilkes and Aurora basins, and Lake Vostok, the largest subglacial lake on Earth.
The find was published in Nature on June 7.
Researchers link basin to ice movement
Turns out, these linked formations are all part of one huge basin, which reshapes what we know about Antarctica's history.
Researchers used gravity and magnetic data plus crust modeling to piece it together, revealing that the land has been slowly stretching for millions of years.
Because this basin sits under half the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, it affects how ice moves and shapes the landscape: key information for predicting changes as our climate warms.