An international team of researchers made a historic discovery by finding remains of an ocean that existed 23 million years ago on the white continent.
The discovery was made after completing a complex drilling of 500 meters deep under the dense Antarctic ice layer, reaching sediments that have remained hidden for geological eras.
The analysis of the extracted samples revealed the presence of marine fossils and microorganisms that confirm that, in the past, the region was covered by marine waters before the definitive formation of the ice cap.
This study is fundamental to understanding the climatic evolution of our planet and how variations in global temperatures affected the sea level in the past.
The project, which involved the use of cutting-edge drilling technology, allows geologists to reconstruct the environmental history of Antarctica with unprecedented precision.
Scientists warn that this data is vital for predicting the future behavior of glaciers in the current scenario of global warming, as the retreat of the ice could once again expose ecosystems that have been isolated for millions of years.
Who carried out the drilling and why?
The drilling was carried out by researchers linked to the British Antarctic Survey (British Antarctic Survey) in collaboration with European and North American universities, as part of a scientific project aimed at reconstructing the climatic history of Antarctica.
