Scientists thus speak of a “hidden world” of important marine life in this unexplored place, which has so far remained a secret locked by the ice.
They were in charge of studying the melting of the ice on the Ross barrier, the largest ice barrier in Antarctica. But when this group of New Zealand researchers drilled through the ice to an underground river, their camera was invaded by small shrimp-like creatures.
“For a moment we thought something was wrong with the camera, but when the focus improved we noticed a swarm of arthropods regarding 5mm in size,” said Craig Stevens, of theNational Institute for Water and the Atmosphere au Guardian.
A news that made them “jump for joy” since it means the existence of a “hidden world” of important marine life in this unexplored place under the ice.
“Big Surprises”
Scientists have known for some time regarding the existence of a network of freshwater lakes and rivers hidden beneath Antarctica’s ice sheets, but it still remains largely understudied.
“We researched other parts of the ice shelf and thought we had a good handle on things, but this time around we had some big surprises in store for us,” said Craig Stevens.
Beneath a vast Antarctic ice shelf, 500 meters below the ice and hundreds of kilometers from the edge of the ice shelf, in a cathedral-like cave several hundred meters high, the researchers therefore discovered a new ecosystem that has so far remained a secret locked in ice.
“A Hidden World”
“Being able to observe and sample this river was like being the first to enter a hidden world,” says project manager Huw Horgan, who was the first to spot the estuary, following spotting a groove in the ice in studying satellite images of the Ross Ice Shelf.
Instruments have been left in the river to observe its behavior, he said, while lab researchers will study what makes this water unique.
