A secret ecosystem has been thriving under the icy surface and the discovery was recently made. Researchers have found this "hidden world" beneath the Larsen Ice Shelf. Footage reveals a dark cavern-like space filled with swarms of tiny, shrimp-like creatures. The Larsen Ice Shelf is a massive sheet of ice floating while being attached to the eastern coast of the Antarctic peninsula. Satellite images reveal that the unusual groove where this ecosystem has been found is a subsurface river. [1]

Figure 1. Secret Ecosystem Found Under Icy Antarctica Surface

Figure 1 shows to uncover this hidden ecosystem, the team drilled nearly 500 meters below the surface of the ice. For this drilling job, they used a powerful hot water hose to access the underground cavity. When a camera was sent down this drilled tunnel, it captured footage of some small, fuzzy marks in the water. These swim marks don’t have any camera glitches. Instead, these are small crustaceans called arthropods, which the researchers didn’t expect as much below the surface. [2]

After sending the camera down into the river, the team was surprised to learn that the cavern looked drastically different from what they had predicted. The researchers had expected that the roof of the chamber would be smooth and flat. But instead, they found that the roof was very uneven and had lots of steep undulations. The cavern was also much wider nearer the roof. "It looked like a loaf of bread, with a bulge at the top and narrow slope at the bottom," Stevens said. [3]

Researchers have also unexpectedly stumbled upon a unique feature of the water column. The underground water split into four or five distinct layers flowing in opposite directions. "This changes our current understanding and models of these environments," Stevens said.  He added, “We're going to have our work cut out understanding what this means.”

References:

1. https://newslogic.in/science/secret-ecosystem-found-under-icy-antarctica-surface-by-researchers/
2. https://news7h.com/researchers-find-secret-ecosystem-under-antarctic-icy-surface-2/
3. https://www.livescience.com/hidden-ecosystem-under-antarctic-ice
4. https://gadgets360.com/science/news/antarctica-secret-ecosystem-thrives-under-icy-river-larsen-shelf-researchers-3058062

Cite this article:

Thanusri swetha J (2022), Secret Ecosystem Found Under Icy Antarctica Surface , Anatechmaz, pp.88