Scientists discover 466-mile long canyon underneath Greenland ice

Underneath the Greenland ice sheet, scientists have discovered a 466-mile long canyon, never seen before.

According to the International Business Times, the canyon is 466 miles long, over 6 miles at its widest and is over 2600 feet deep. The canyon was discovered by Jonathan Bamber, a research at the University of Bristol and lead author of the study published in Science.

Bamber and colleagues discovered the canyon while looking over radar data from the past several decades. NASA had most of the data as did other scientists. The canyon was found because some radio wave frequencies can penetrate the ice and expose what is below.

Bamber said in a statement, “With Google Streetview available for many cities around the world and digital maps for everything from population density to happiness, one might assume that the landscape of the Earth has been fully explored and mapped,” but “Our research shows there’s still a lot left to discover.”

The BBC notes that the Greenland ice sheet is up to two miles thick and is heavy enough to make the middle of the island slump and it is now actually below sea level.

“The Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets hide a lot. It’s pretty surprising to find this canyon. Greenland isn’t that big for a canyon of that size, and for it to survive in its pre-glacial form after successive glaciations is quite something,” Prof. David Vaughan of British Antarctic Survey said to BBC News.

Prof. Vaughan added, “There’s likely be some sort of bacteria down there – whether it’s viable is another matter.”

image: Wikimedia Commons

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