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Science
Related: About this forumScientists make jaw-dropping find after drilling more than 1,500 feet into Antarctic ice: 'We even discovered a school o
of lobster-like creatures'More than half a mile beneath the surface of Antarctica's Kamb Ice Stream, scientists have uncovered a slow-moving river of water that's been hidden for millennia. This remarkable discovery is offering fresh insight into how Antarctica melts from below, and it could have big implications for the future of coastal towns and cities.
What's happening?
In a recent expedition, researchers drilled more than 1,600 feet into the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and discovered a subglacial river flowing beneath the Ross Ice Shelf, per Earth.com.
The river, about as tall as a 30-story building and as wide as a city block, is a blend of freshwater and seawater, slowly making its way toward the ocean.
"We struck water at the end of the borehole and with the help of our camera, we even discovered a school of lobster-like creatures 400 kilometers from the open ocean," expedition leader Huw Horgan said.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/scientists-jaw-dropping-drilling-more-103011488.html
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Scientists make jaw-dropping find after drilling more than 1,500 feet into Antarctic ice: 'We even discovered a school o (Original Post)
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
11 hrs ago
OP
Thanks for posting this. I like to see what the actual smart people are up to.
NBachers
10 hrs ago
#2
Yah, interesting story, but when scientists, or journalists can't do math, I have to wonder.. nt
Exp
8 hrs ago
#10
proud patriot
(102,315 posts)1. Wow
Very thought provoking
NBachers
(19,028 posts)2. Thanks for posting this. I like to see what the actual smart people are up to.
When I was a kid, we all wanted to grow up to be this kind of scientist adventurer.
dickthegrouch
(4,156 posts)3. A mile used to be 5280 feet
Whats it been reduced to? (Per the article 1600 feet is now more than half a mile)
Who reduced it? The car companies so that wed get more miles to the gallon????
fargone
(499 posts)4. Well it is more than a quarter mile, but half mile sounds more impressive.
Exp
(681 posts)10. Yah, interesting story, but when scientists, or journalists can't do math, I have to wonder.. nt
muriel_volestrangler
(105,192 posts)12. 500m + 252m is very nearly half a mile
Beneath approximately 500 m of ice, we used an acoustic sensor to image a 252-m high water-filled grounding-zone channel
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-025-01687-3
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-025-01687-3
So they drilled through about 1600 feet of ice; the base of the channel is about 750 metres down - half a mile being about 800 metres.
I'd have put 252 metres as more than "a 30-story building".
Tree Lady
(12,899 posts)5. I always wonder if they unlock
Diseases we can't cure when they do stuff like that.
Nigrum Cattus
(1,083 posts)6. funny the things you find when you start look'in
"lobster-like creatures" = antarctic crayfish - gumbo time !
we have no idea how many of those subglacial rivers there are
or how much melt water they are producing - Greenland is similar
kimbutgar
(26,471 posts)7. I love these stories but get nervous about the findings like this
Because I have watched too many horror/science fiction stories where a monster is discovered and threatens the world. Too many 50s movies in particular.
Wonder Why
(6,359 posts)8. The good old days. When all the monsters were not human. Then, again, they aren't human now either!
slightlv
(7,029 posts)11. Come on, Godzilla! n/t
Borogove
(316 posts)9. That's incredible. Our planet is endlessly fascinating.