Scientists Uncover Massive Underground Water Network Beneath Antarctic Ice

Researchers have identified a vast underground water system reaching depths of up to two kilometers beneath the ice of West Antarctica.

For the first time, scientists have successfully mapped this extensive and dynamic subterranean water network embedded within deep sediment layers. Such systems could have previously unknown impacts on how the frozen continent responds to climate change—or potentially even influence it. The groundbreaking findings were published in the journal Science.

The study focused on the 96-kilometer-wide Whillans Ice Stream, one of the fastest-moving ice flows feeding the Ross Ice Shelf, the largest ice shelf worldwide. Prior investigations revealed a subglacial lake and an underlying sediment basin. Shallow drilling uncovered liquid water and diverse microbial life, but the full extent of the system remained a mystery.

To explore deeper layers, researchers employed magnetotelluric imaging, a technique that measures the penetration of natural electromagnetic energy generated high in the atmosphere into the earth. Different materials such as ice, sediment, water, and rock conduct electromagnetic energy to varying degrees. By analyzing these variations, scientists can create detailed maps of subsurface structures—similar to how MRI scans visualize internal organs.

In the field, scientists installed instruments in snow pits for a day before relocating them, ultimately collecting data from 40 distinct locations.

Analysis revealed that electromagnetic signals travel through the ice and sediments to depths ranging from 500 meters to nearly two kilometers before hitting bedrock. These voids are entirely filled with liquid water. Researchers estimate that if extracted, this water column could range from 220 to 820 meters in height—at least ten times larger than previously known shallow hydrological systems beneath the ice.

The conductivity measurements indicated that the groundwater becomes saltier with depth, consistent with sediments originally formed in ancient marine environments. These waters likely last reached the surface during a warming period approximately 5,000 to 7,000 years ago.

Importantly, the subterranean system connects with the external ocean, releasing fresh water and making space for new meltwater beneath the ice. Accelerated climate change may intensify this flow, introducing carbon into the ocean that microbes beneath the ice utilize. Scientists suggest this process may already be underway, meaning Antarctic carbon is actively cycling in the environment.

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