Earth: Day Zero • Paper 195 of 512
Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains
The Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains represent one of the most unusual mountain systems on Earth because they remain almost entirely hidden beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet.
Regional Geological Context
The range is located within the East Antarctic interior between Dome A and Dome C, Antarctica.
Relevant institutions include British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, England, United Kingdom; Australian Antarctic Division, Tasmania, Australia; and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Palisades, New York, United States.
Observation
Radar and geophysical surveys reveal a large mountain system beneath thousands of meters of ice.
Constraint Analysis
The existence and preservation of a substantial buried mountain range raise important questions regarding Antarctic tectonic history and continental evolution.
Open Questions
What geological processes best explain the formation and preservation of the Gamburtsev Mountains?