Geologists digging into the massive West Antarctic ice sheet have discovered the remains of an ancient river system that once flowed for nearly a thousand miles. “It was a gigantic river system,” the researchers announced.
Researchers have discovered evidence of the existence of a huge river that crossed the Antarctic PHOTO: ARCHIVE
According to livescience, the discovery provides a glimpse into Earth’s history and suggests how extreme climate change could alter the planet.
“If we think about possible severe climate change in the future, we need to learn from the periods in Earth’s history when this has already happened”study co-author Johann Klages, a sedimentologist at the Alfred Wegener Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research in Germany, told Live Science.
33-40 million years ago. an era known as the Middle and Late Eocene, Earth’s atmosphere changed drastically. As carbon dioxide levels fell, global cooling triggered the formation of glaciers on an ice-free Earth.
“This is interesting. just having this exciting image in your brain that there was this gigantic river system that ran through Antarctica and is now covered in miles of ice”Klages said.
Scientists are interested in investigating how this major climate event played out in Antarctica, especially as Earth’s carbon dioxide levels continue to rise due to human-induced climate change.
The amount of carbon dioxide in the late Eocene period was almost double that of today. However, it could be similar to levels expected in about 150-200 years if greenhouse gas levels continue to rise, Klages said.
But uncovering the past proved to be a challenge. Most of West Antarctica today is covered in ice, making access to sedimentary rocks, which are essential for studying early environments, difficult. Geologists often rely on the type of grains, minerals, and fossils trapped in these sediments to work out the type of conditions that characterize an area.
