Hidden East Antarctic Basin Revealed Beneath the Ice
Researchers analyzing data compiled from geology, gravity, magnetic measurements and crust models report a massive, previously unrecognized structure beneath two miles of Antarctic ice—the East Antarctic Fan-shaped Basin Province—integrating Wilkes and Aurora subglacial basins with Lake Vostok into a single feature. The formation, likely due to distributed rotational extension over millions of years, could significantly influence ice flow and landscape evolution across about half of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, though further corroboration is needed.