Antarctica map reveals landscape beneath the ice sheet.

Researchers combined Ice Flow Perturbation Analysis with satellite measurements to produce a continent-wide map of Antarctica's bed, showing thousands of subglacial hills, valleys and large-scale features; the results were published in Science.

Scientists have produced a new continent-wide map of what lies beneath Antarctica's ice sheet. Thick ice has long made direct observations difficult, so researchers combined a method called Ice Flow Perturbation Analysis with satellite measurements of the ice surface. The technique detects surface patterns created as ice flows over underlying hills and valleys, and the team applied it across all 5.5 million square miles of the continent. The results, published in Science, show previously uncharted mountain ranges, deep canyons and thousands of subglacial hills and valleys. Key findings: - Ice Flow Perturbation Analysis (IFPA) was used together with recent satellite observations to infer bed topography from surface features. - The mapping effort covered roughly 5.5 million square miles of Antarctica, including areas with limited prior survey data. - The map indicates thousands of subglacial hills and valleys as well as larger mountain ranges and deep canyons. - Researchers say the method fills many gaps but is not perfect and provides a clearer impression of where the bed is rough or smooth. - The study was led by Dr Helen Ockenden with contributions from Professors Robert Bingham and Andrew Curtis and was published in the journal Science. Summary: The new map provides a much more complete picture of Antarctica's subglacial landscape and reduces uncertainty about where the bed is rough or smoother. Undetermined at this time.