### The Mystery of Antarctica – The World Hidden Under the Ice
Antarctica is more than just a frigid land of penguins and endless white snow. Beneath the 1 to 3 miles of ice – the equivalent of 16 Eiffel Towers stacked high – lies an ancient world full of surprises. These layers of ice have concealed the continent’s true shape and topographic features for millions of years.
**The Rainforest Age and the Formation of Ice and Snow:**
About 90 million years ago, Antarctica was a lush tropical forest, with rivers and diverse life. But 34 million years ago, when the planet entered an ice age, ice and snow covered the continent, turning it into a vast white desert.
This thick layer of ice not only hides the terrain but also acts as a protective blanket, blocking natural erosion factors such as wind and rain, helping to maintain the continent’s features almost intact over millions of years.
**Amazing discoveries:**
Thanks to modern satellite technology, scientists have discovered an ancient landscape buried under the ice. Particularly in East Antarctica, in areas such as the Aurora and Schmidt basins, they found traces of ancient rivers, valleys, and even “U” shaped land masses. These traces are living evidence of a time before the continent was covered by ice.
**Geological origin and continental displacement:**
Hundreds of millions of years ago, Antarctica was part of the supercontinent Gondwana. When Gondwana broke apart, Antarctica was stretched by tectonic forces, leading to the formation of the large land masses that are covered by ice today.
**Hidden Ecosystems:**
Underneath the Antarctic ice, scientists have discovered strange signs of life. In 2017, they found DNA from algae, moss, and possibly unknown animals in warm caves beneath the ice. There was even an underground river under the Ross Ice that was filled with tiny shrimp-like creatures that surprised scientists when they dropped cameras in and the creatures blocked their view.
**Antarctica – an undiscovered treasure trove:**
The continent is full of undiscovered wonders, from massive mountain ranges like the Alps hidden under ice, to active volcanoes like Mount Erebus – the tallest and most southerly volcano.
n addition, Antarctica’s ice holds 60% of the Earth’s fresh water. If ice melts, like the Florida-sized “Doomsday” Glacier that is currently melting, sea levels could rise by up to 2 feet, threatening coastal areas around the world.
**Future Exploration:**
Further study of Antarctica will help scientists better understand the Earth’s climate history as well as the unique ecosystems under the ice. This continent is less explored than the surface of Mars, promising groundbreaking discoveries in the future.
