What Lies Below Antarctica’s ice sheet? A new map exposes a dramatic landscape long hidden from human view

Beneath Miles of Ice, a Lost Continent Emerges as Scientists Reveal Antarctica’s Secret Terrain (Image: Canva)

Scientists have created the most detailed map yet of Antarctica’s hidden landscape beneath its ice sheet, revealing mountains, valleys and more than 30,000 previously unknown hills. Using satellite data and ice-flow analysis, the study published in Science shows how buried terrain affects ice movement. Researchers say the findings will improve models predicting ice loss, melting rates and future global sea-level rise, offering crucial insight for climate forecasts.

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Scientists have produced the most detailed map yet of Antarctica’s hidden landscape, revealing mountains, valleys and plains buried beneath the continent’s vast ice sheet, according to research published this week in the journal Science.

Researchers have uncovered a complex terrain lying beneath Antarctica’s ice. The new map reveals mountains, deep canyons, broad valleys and flat plains. Scientists identified more than 30,000 previously uncharted hills beneath ice. Each hill rises at least 50 metres above surroundings. The findings show Antarctica’s hidden landscape rivals other continents. Antarctica is about 40% larger than Europe. It is also roughly 50% larger than the United States. Its size is around half the area of Africa. Like other continents, it contains striking geological contrasts. Researchers say the buried landscape is far from uniform.

Mapping Antarctica’s hidden bedrock

The research team used high resolution satellite observations. They combined these with ice flow perturbation analysis methods. This technique estimates bedrock shape from surface ice features. It allowed scientists to map areas never surveyed before. Earlier radar surveys left gaps across large regions. Some gaps measured up to 150 kilometres wide. The new method filled these missing sections. Glaciologist Helen Ockenden led the study from France. She works at the Institut des Geosciences de l'Environnement. Ockenden said the approach reveals how landscapes connect beneath ice. Until now, Mars was better mapped than Antarctica’s bedrock.

An undated handout image shows a map detailing Antarctica’s subglacial landscape, revealing mountain ranges, deep canyons, broad valleys and tens of thousands of smaller features, with comparison insets. The image was obtained by Reuters on January 15, 2026. (Image: Robert Bingham, University of Edinburgh/Reuters)

Why bed shape matters for ice movement

Scientists say bedrock shape controls how ice flows. Rough terrain increases friction beneath moving ice. This friction can slow ice retreat under warming conditions. Improved maps help refine ice flow models. These models estimate melting and ocean contribution. Robert Bingham helped lead the research team. He is a glaciologist at the University of Edinburgh. Bingham said accurate maps are essential for projections. Antarctica’s ice sheet holds about 70 percent of freshwater. Its average thickness is around 2.1 kilometres. Maximum thickness reaches nearly 4.8 kilometres. Small modelling errors can greatly affect predictions.

What this means for future climate forecasts

Antarctica was not always covered by ice. Its terrain formed before ice arrived millions of years ago. The continent separated from South America through plate tectonics. Ice later reshaped valleys, plateaus and mountains. The new map shows landscapes resembling Scotland and Scandinavia. Similarities increase confidence in the mapping technique. Researchers expect improved sea level rise forecasts. The findings will support future IPCC climate assessments. Scientists can now identify priority areas for field surveys. The study offers clearer insight into Antarctica’s future behaviour.