Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Explorers to Probe Antarctic's Buried Mountains

Scientists stumped by mysterious range as large as the Alps

By Peter Fearon,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 15, 2008 6:35 AM CDT

(Newser) – 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."


An airplane flies over Antarctic territory. A new expedition will attempt to explore mountains buried deep within the ice.
An airplane flies over Antarctic territory. A new expedition will attempt to explore mountains buried deep within the ice.   (AP Photo/Roberto Candia)
A new international Antarctic expedition will attempt to explore one of the most remote and mysterious regions on earth, a mountain range buried deep within Antarctic ice.
A new international Antarctic expedition will attempt to explore one of the most remote and mysterious regions on earth, a mountain range buried deep within Antarctic ice.   (AP Photo/Raytheon Antarctic Services, Allen Delaney, HO)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

I like to say it's rather like being an archaeologist and opening up a tomb in a pyramid and finding an astronaut sitting inside. It shouldn't be there. - Dr Robin Bell of the Lamont-Doherty
Earth Observatory

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
COMMENTS
Be the first to comment on this story.
 

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Timelines   |   POPSUGAR Tech   |   Business Insider   |   HuffPost Entertainment   |   NewsOne