Scientists have recently discovered an isolated land area, devoid of light for an extended period, existing in the frigid waters of Antarctica.
According to Live Science, a team of researchers from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is currently exploring the mysterious marine ecosystem under the Antarctic ice shelf.
Antarctic Ice.
This area has been exposed to light and air for the first time in 120,000 years, following the calving of a massive iceberg roughly the size of the state of Delaware in July of last year.
Iceberg A-68 is estimated to weigh up to 1,000,000 tons and began separating from the Antarctic ice shelf decades ago, with small cracks appearing as early as the 1960s.
In July of last year, the gigantic iceberg finally broke completely away, drifting south into the ocean and melting entirely.
The movement of the iceberg revealed a vast area of land larger than 5,800 km2, which has not seen sunlight for hundreds of thousands of years.
BAS marine biologist Katrin Linse stated: “We know nothing about this land. It is covered by ice several hundred meters thick. We rushed there before the underwater environment changed, sunlight filtered into the water, and new species began to invade.”
Melting Ice in Antarctica Reveals 120,000-Year-Old Land Never Exposed to Sunlight.
Scientists have hypothesized about the possibility of extraterrestrial-like life forms existing beneath the Antarctic’s permanent ice.
This hypothesis was formulated after they continuously discovered several bizarre organisms in Antarctica, such as strange-shaped sea worms and Antarctic icefish, which contain antifreeze proteins in their blood and bodily fluids.
These discoveries astonished scientists with their ability to thrive in one of the harshest environments on Earth. Therefore, the likelihood of species emerging in the aforementioned land area is very high.
Other organisms have also amazed scientists due to their ability to survive in extreme conditions. Notably, the Antarctic icefish, which possesses antifreeze proteins in its blood and bodily fluids, allowing it to live in extremely low temperatures.
