Explorers to Probe Antarctic's Buried Mountains

A unique expedition will explore a mysterious mountain range buried deep within the Antarctic, reports the BBC. Scientists, engineers, and pilots from the US, UK, Germany, Australia, China, and Japan will use ice-penetrating radar and other high tech equipment in a bid to determine how the Gamburtsev mountains—equal in scale to the Alps—formed and endured beneath the ice and snow.

"You can almost think about it as exploring another planet," said one of the researchers. "This region is a complete enigma. Most mountain ranges are on the edges of continents. We really can't understand what these mountains are doing in the center."

(More Antarctica stories.)