A team of researchers, who call themselves Bedmachine Antarctica, recently managed to put together the most accurate map of Antarctica to date. During their extensive research, the scientists’ main goal was to determine the shape of the land under the sheet of ice that covers the region.
The team accomplished its goal, while also making another great discovery along the way. According to the findings, the lowest point on land on the globe is found under the Denman Glacier, in East Antarctica. The canyon’s depth is 3.5 kilometers below sea level, making it the lowest point on the planet not covered by liquid water.
This discovery made by BedMachine Antarctica will help scientists gain a better understanding of the changes that the polar south region could go through as a result of global warming. Specifically, he information will help put together climate models that could predict the effects of warming temperatures on the globe.
The deepest point on exposed land is 413 meters below sea level, located at the shore of the Dead Sea.
Dr. Molighem, part of the research team, said: “The trenches in the oceans are deeper, but this is the deepest canyon on land,” explained Dr. Morlighem. There have been many attempts to sound the bed of Denman, but every time they flew over the canyon – they couldn’t see it in the radar data.”
The team conducted research based on the law of conservation of mass to create the map. Previously, they tried using radar instruments, but this method failed to gather enough data that could help experts create a complete picture of the area.
The “BedMachine Antarctica” study will be discussed during a presentation at the American Geophysical Union. The study was also published in the Nature Geoscience journal.