The depths of Antarctica had always been a mystery, so far: 3,000 “mega -structures”

An international team of scientists, with the researcher at the University of Barcelona David Amblàs at the head, He has revealed A much more complex and detailed map of the Antarctic Sea Fund. Using the most complete database to date, they have identified 3,291 individual cannons organized in 332 systems, some of which sink up to 4,000 meters deep and that act as supermarine superautistapistas that regulate the global climate, and at the same time, represent the Achilles heel of the gigantic glaciers of the icy continent.

The map that has changed everything. Until now, our vision of the seabed surrounding Antarctica was blurred. The maps were based In low resolution data that barely suggested the largest structures. But everything has changed thanks to the new ‘International Bathymetric Chart of the Southern Ocean (IBCSO) V.2‘, a cartography that has combined thousands of ship polls with satellite data.

Taking advantage of this “Google Maps” of the Antarctic Sea bed, scientists applied semi -automatic hydrological techniques, similar to those used to analyze river basins on the mainland. In this way, they managed to trace with amazing precision the entire network of “rivers” and “submarines” submarine that cross the continental margins of the continent.

Two types of very different geographies. The finding with this system reveals two types of underwater geography. On the one hand, you have the ‘Eastern Antarctica‘Where very branched and -shaped cannon systems are found, which determines that its origin is very old. On the other hand, there is the ‘Western Antarctica‘Where shorter cannons predominate with abrupt slopes and V sections, which allows to see a more recent geological origin.

For Amblàs, This difference so marked in geomorphology “It supports the hypothesis that the eastern ice layer is older and formed before the western one.” This is something that until now had only been able to intuit.

Visual representation of the applied methodology for the extraction of the streams in the seabed.

Water highways that decide our future. These cannons are not just a geographical accident. They are leading actors of climate change. On the one hand, they act as channels for the water of the continental platform, which when cooled and gain salinity, becomes very dense. . This water is precipitated by the cannons to the depths of the ocean, in a process that forms the Background Antarctic Water (AABW).

This mass of cold and dense water is the engine of global oceanic circulation, a gigantic “conveyor belt” that distributes heat throughout the planet and kidnaps huge amounts of carbon dioxide in the deep ocean. The geometry of these cannons, therefore, is essential for climate regulation.

The Achilles heel of the glaciers. On the other hand, these same cannons are an entrance door for the enemy. Allow him to Circumpolar deep water (CDW), a relatively warm mass of water (about 2 ° C above the freezing point) and saline, sneaks from the open ocean to the base of the ice platforms. This warm water flow is the main responsible for the basal melting of the glaciers, eroding them from below and accelerating their slide to the sea.

The discovery of such a dense cannon network, especially in Eastern Antarctica (considered so far stable), suggests that The vulnerability of the continent The oceanic warming could be greater than what the models foresee. Regions such as the Amundsen Sea, home of the final judgment glacier, are full of these cannons that serve the warm water in tray.

The great challenge: that our climatic models understand it. In addition, this discovery shows an important career: the climatic models that we currently use to project future scenarios are not able to simulate precisely. The topography is so rugged that the predictions on the dynamics of the oceans and the weather lose reliability, especially in areas as vulnerable as the Amundsen Sea.

Therefore, the two authors of this study underline the urgency of continuing to invest in the high resolution mapping of these unexplored areas. The second researcher, Riccardo Arosio, concludes that “new cannons will surely be revealed” and each of them is essential to be able to make more precise climatic models that determine the future of the planet.

Antarctica is a well of surprises. There are many investigations that focus on the planet’s location, and the conclusions are very interesting. We already know that in the past Where there is now ice was a real forestor that under its surface Something is sending a sign that science fails to clarify. And this has done that Tourism has arrived at this placesomething that is not sitting too well.

Images | Cassie Matias

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