Chinese scientists have discovered 46 additional subglacial lakes in Antarctica using an innovative analysis method.
Antarctica is covered by a vast ice sheet with an average thickness of over 2,400 meters. Beneath this ice mantle, numerous diverse subglacial lakes exist.
According to Tang Xueyuan, the leader of the research team from the Polar Research Institute of China (PRIC), these lakes are formed when melting ice streams flow into depressions in the bedrock beneath the ice sheet.
Tang stated: “Research on subglacial lakes in Antarctica is particularly important for understanding the dynamics of ice sheets, sediment processes, geochemical cycles beneath the ice, and the evolution of life.”
Many studies have indicated that these lakes fill and drain according to mysterious cycles that can affect the movement speed of the ice sheet as well as how and where meltwater reaches the Southern Ocean.
Subglacial lakes in Antarctica fill and drain in mysterious cycles. (Photo: Science News Explore)
The scientists introduced a new method using variational autoencoders (VAE) to analyze the bottom ice reflection waveforms represented in radar ice data. Using this method, the research team conducted a comprehensive scan of radar images of the AGAP-S region in the Gamburtsev Mountain Range in East Antarctica.
The results indicated the existence of 46 subglacial lakes characterized by significantly smaller geometric outlines compared to lakes identified by conventional methods. The scientists believe this new method greatly enhances the efficiency and accuracy of subglacial lake exploration and also promises to expand the discovery and study of various subglacial environments in Antarctica.
This research was conducted by teams from PRIC, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), and Southern University of Science and Technology.
According to current statistics, scientists worldwide have discovered a total of 675 subglacial lakes beneath the Antarctic ice sheet, of which 3 lakes have been successfully drilled and sampled.
