The vast ice realm of Antarctica has always been shrouded in mystery. Now scientists have been able to lift another curtain on that mystery. New research has found surprising information about the Gamburtsev Mountains, which have been buried under ice for about 500 million years.
This mountain range in the depths of Antarctica is located several kilometers deep in the ice. Although it is similar in size to the European Alps, it is so well preserved under the pressure of the ice that it is currently considered the most intact mountain range in the world.
The Gamburtsev Mountains were first identified in 1958, by an international expedition using seismic techniques. Since then, scientists’ curiosity about its structure, location and development has gradually increased. Its location is under the highest ice layer in East Antarctica. This ice sheet has protected the mountain from natural erosion and tectonic deformation for a long time.
According to scientists, most of the world’s mountain ranges erode over time or collapse due to collisions with the Earth’s crust. But the Gamburtsev Mountains have survived almost unchanged because they are under ice.
Research has shown that this mountain range was born about 580 million years ago when tectonic plates collided in the huge supercontinent called Gondwana. During that collision, intense heat and molten rock flow began, which helped form the mountains. The crust thickened, and over time, some parts collapsed under their own weight.
A special mineral—zircon—is helping to analyze the development, stability, and structure of this mountain. This tiny crystalline mineral is called a geological stopwatch. It can survive for billions of years and is capable of containing uranium. Scientists can determine the age of rocks with great accuracy from the decay of uranium.
Scientists say that analysis of zircon data in the rocks of the Gamburtsev Mountains has revealed that the mountain range was formed about 580 million years ago and that structural changes began there 500 million years ago.
Research team member Jeff Benowitz said that the ice sheet of Antarctica hides a lot of geological information. Analysis of the basement rocks of the Trans-Antarctica is helping us understand the history of the landscape under the ice.
A major challenge of this research is to collect rock samples by digging through the ice. However, with the advancement of technology, that path is now becoming easier. Scientists are analyzing the presence of minerals through some new models, which will provide important information for future research.
The study was published in the journal ‘Earth and Planetary Science Letters’. Scientists hope that if we can understand the mysteries of this mountain more deeply, the ancient geological history of the Earth will be clearer. And this strangely preserved Gamburtsev Mountains will open a remarkable window for cosmology.