7 Curious and, at the same time, scary facts about Antarctica

Antarctica is the most mysterious continent on the planet, hiding a sea of ​​secrets under its layers of ice. However, researchers have already managed to unravel some of them to share with us: incredible and surprising inhabitants of the bottom of the ocean, ice caves where it is possible to walk without a shirt and not freeze, not to mention the sounds considered scary.

O awesome.club previously showed some of Antarctica’s secrets, but the seven that make up this post will make your hair stand on end. And it’s not and cold!

These creatures were found by biologist Susanne Lockhart in the seabed of a hitherto unexplored region of Antarctica. A few hours of visual material was filmed, and then sent along with examples of local flora and fauna for laboratory analysis. Susanne revealed that half of the data received has great relevance for the future of the Southern Ocean, and can be used for the creation of marine protected areas in that region and for the protection of the fragile ecosystems that exist there.

Shrinking glaciers in West Antarctica

Studies carried out by researchers from the Università degli Studi di Urbino Carlo Bo, Italy, proved that, due to the intense increase in carbon dioxide levels, the climate model of Antarctica is undergoing changes.

In 2015, the concentration of carbon dioxide gases in the region reached 400 ppm (parts per million), a considerable increase compared to the 280 ppm recorded in the pre-industrial period. This means that, by the end of the 21st century, these levels could reach 600 ppm. With that, the Antarctic ice shelf would begin to melt rapidly, raising the Earth’s sea level by up to 60 meters. And that is not good for humanity.

Iceberg melt after Pine Island Glacier rupture

In the same work, experts explained that the ice layer in the region appeared 34 million years ago, when the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere fell to less than 600 ppm, which formed a layer resistant to climate change, causing the fall at sea level. The increase in the level of CO2 to more than 600 ppm, according to the researchers, can make our planet go back to that warmer beginning.

Confirming what had already been verified by previous studies, the largest glacier in Antarctica, the Totten, began to melt at an accelerated pace. Experts continue to analyze the glacier’s behavior very carefully, as the melting of this piece of ice could raise the ocean level by 3.5 meters. The collected data shows that a large part of Totten is in the sea, and not on the surface as previously believed. The warming of marine water causes erosion in the glacier, which may explain its accelerated melting in recent times.

Accelerated images showing melting glaciers in different parts of the world

Still according to the opinion of scientists, the wind also contributes to the accelerated melting of glaciers, including Totten.

Scholars claim that Antarctica’s glaciers hide a complex world full of animals and plants, including species still unknown. It was to find out more about them that research was carried out on the extensive cave systems that formed in the ice thanks to some active volcanoes. Temperatures in the caves can reach 25ºC, and these places are very bright. All this creates ideal conditions for life and the development of ecosystems deep under the frozen surface. The soil samples analyzed indicated DNA traces of small animals, plants and fungi.

Today, Antarctica is the most cartographically detailed continent on the planet. Approval of the new Antarctic Elevation Reference Model (REMA) map is higher than those previously produced. In its enlarged size, the map occupies a space of 150 terabytes. For your child, it was necessary to analyze a large amount of satellite images taken from 2009 to 2017.

To unite and check all the photos, software was created with the participation of the Blue Waters supercomputer, from the University of Minnesota — USA. The REMA map can accurately show the height of less than a meter of each part of Antarctica’s surface, which gives scholars a chance to track any changes linked to global warming.

During one of the expeditions to Antarctica, carried out within the ANSMET program, in charge of looking for objects arrived from space, small particles of 250 different meteorites were found in a restricted region. According to NASA experts, it is common for particles from asteroids and planets to fall into Antarctica. Thanks to the intense cold, these objects are preserved until they are found by specialists.

During the entire period of existence of the ANSMET program, scholars have already collected more than 22,000 elements from asteroids, Mars and the Moon for analysis.

Yes, maybe you don’t believe it, but the mysterious Antarctica has its own voice. The sounds emitted by the continent are as frightening as the cold that prevails in the place.

We were especially impressed by the sounds of Antarctica. And for you, which of the curiosities about the continent is the most surprising? Leave your comment!