Scientists have uncovered a vast fan-shaped network of basins beneath East Antarctica's ice, linking several major subglacial features. This discovery enhances understanding of Antarctica's geological history and its current ice dynamics, with implications for climate change.

• 01The newly identified structure is named the East Antarctic Fan-shaped Basin Province, comprising interconnected basins beneath over three kilometers of ice.
• 02This geological feature includes notable subglacial areas like the Wilkes and Aurora basins and Lake Vostok, the largest subglacial lake on Earth.
• 03The basins likely formed through a process called distributed rotational extension, indicative of ancient tectonic activity related to the Gondwana supercontinent.
• 04The findings suggest that the bedrock shape influences ice movement and stability in regions of Antarctica vulnerable to climate change.
• 05The research utilized a combination of geological and geophysical data to map the hidden landscape beneath the ice.

The discovery influences how scientists understand ice dynamics in Antarctica, which could affect predictions about ice sheet stability in the context of climate change.