Geologists have found the largest canyon of the Earth under the ice of Antarctica – RIA Novosti

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© Jamieson et al. / Geology in 2015

MOSCOW, January 14 – RIA Novosti. satellite images and remote sensing data surface of Antarctica show that its ice can hide under the largest canyon of the Earth length of 1,000 kilometers and a depth of a thousand meters, according to an article published in the journal Geology.

“Our analysis of the data shows that under the ice of Princess Elizabeth Land may be hiding a giant canyon, and possibly a large lake. It is surprising that such a large landforms avoided detection for so long,” – said Stuart Jamieson (Stewart Jamieson) from Durham University ( United Kingdom).

As Jameson says, his research team made the discovery, trying to uncover the strangeness of how glaciers flow flows on the surface of Princess Elizabeth. One of the main constraints in the movement of the ice is the terrain on which they “flow” that has forced the authors to examine its structure, based on satellite data MODIS, RADARSAT, ICESat and ERS-1.

By combining the data from these satellites and comparing them with those obtained after the data radar observations made with the boards of geodesic planes, the authors discovered two extremely unusual form of relief, preventing the movement of the ice – long and narrow subglacial lake and an extensive network of canyons.

The lake has a rather impressive size – it is longer than 140 kilometers, width – 20 km. In its area – 1250 square kilometers – the Antarctic pond is able to completely cover the Hong Kong or any other major city. The depth of the lake, according to preliminary estimations of scientists, is about 500 meters.

Discovered Jameson and his colleagues at the canyon, if its existence is confirmed, would deprive the Grand Canyon in the United States and the valley of the Brahmaputra River, considered the canyon, the status of the longest structures like kind in the world. Its length, as calculated by the authors, more than a thousand kilometers and a depth of about one kilometer in the deepest areas.

Now, geologists and their colleagues from expeditions working in Antarctica, a second session of observations already in place, checking findings from Jameson and his colleagues. If they podvterdyatsya, the scientists officially announced the opening of the canyon and the lake at the symposium ICECAP2 this year.