Exploring Antarctica’s Ghost Mountains

In a multinational venture to capitalize on the global scientific deployment known as International Polar Year, teams of scientists, engineers, pilots and support staff from the UK, USA, Germany, Japan, Australia and China joined forces to mount one of the most scientifically, technically and physically ambitious Antarctic projects yet undertaken: Exploration of the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains in the center of East Antarctica.

AGAP logo showing survey location in the heart of East Antarctica, key science targets (ice, lakes and mountains) and collaborating countries.

The Antarctica’s Gamburtsev Province (AGAP) project focuses on an invisible world in one of the most remote areas on Earth, just west of the Pole of Inaccessibility, in East Antarctica. Organised as part of a large international effort through the fourth International Polar Year, the project peered beneath the roughly 4 km-deep layer of 1.2 million-year-old glacial ice, to expose the mountains and lakes hidden below. The project involved several intersecting areas of scientific research.

The Mountains:

Developing an understanding of the origin and the influences of the Subglacial Gamburtsev Mountains. The Gamburtsev Mountains positioned deep in East Antarctica, lie below the highest, and perhaps the coldest, place on the East Antarctic Ice Sheet — ‘Dome A’. Discovered 50 years ago, in the International Geophysical Year, the very origin of these mountains remained a complete mystery. What caused them to ever be formed?

Subglacial Lakes:

Through the use of airborne radar and satellite measurements more than 200 subglacial lakes have been located in Antarctica. Water moves between these lakes through a complex system of under-ice rivers, streams and even swamps. Scientists believe water under the ice sheet lubricates the underside of the ice making the ice sheet slide faster. The moving water seems to have a direct link to ice sheet stability.

Climate:

Much of what we know about climate change on our planet comes from ice cores. Ice cores are like climate libraries, capturing gases and atmospheric particles that provide information on the climate from earlier ice ages and warm periods. Many scientists hypothesize the oldest ice on the planet exists close to Dome A, so an ice core from this region will reveal the longest history of planetary change. Through our international collaborations, ice core samples will be recovered from this last great unknown region of Antarctica. Scientists hope that ice cores collected from Dome A will contain information that will shed new light on the origins of the Antarctic ice sheet and its role in future climate change.

This multi-national project project also included partners from seven nations, and multiple institutions.

AGAP field team with BAS Twin Otter survey aircraft

AGAP partner institutions included:

UK

• British Antarctic Survey

USA

• National Science Foundation
• Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory
• University of Kansas
• US Geological Survey
• University of New Hampshire
• Elizabeth City State University
• Washington University in St Louis
• Penn State University

Germany

• Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources
• Alfred Wegener Institute

Australia

• Australian Antarctic Division

China

• National Antarctic Research Expedition and Polar Research Institute China – PANDA

Japan

• National Institute of Polar Research

1. NEWS STORY: New gravity dataset

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2. NEWS STORY: Mountains frozen in time

   Antarctic “ghost mountains” preserved by ice sheet A new study reveals how the rugged ridgelines of East Antarctica’s ancient and mysterious ‘ghost mountains’ have been preserved for millions of years […]

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3. NEWS STORY: Airborne geophysics in the Antarctic

   In this month’s International Innovation journal Dr Fausto Ferraccioli discusses how airborne geophysics can be used to uncover the geology of Antarctica and explore some of the Earth’s final frontiers. […]

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4. PRESS RELEASE: Buried mountain range mapped

   Gamburtsev Mountains enigma unraveled in interior East Antarctica The birth of the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains buried beneath the vast East Antarctic Ice Sheet — a puzzle mystifying scientists since their […]

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5. PRESS RELEASE: New discovery from “ghost mountains”

   Ice structures found among hidden Antarctic mountains The discovery of numerous large ice structures within Antarctica’s Dome A region, the site of the buried ‘ghost mountains’, reveals new understanding about […]

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6. PRESS RELEASE: Mission to buried mountain range

   Challenge to discover Antarctica”s hidden world Later this month teams of scientists, engineers, pilots and support staff from British Antarctic Survey (BAS), USA, Germany, Australia, China and Japan will join […]

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Datasets

List of airborne geophysics datasets available for this project includes:

Aeromagnetic data:

• Ferraccioli, F., Damaske, D., Finn, C., Bell, R., Jordan, T., Robinson, C., & Frearson, N. (2020). Antarctica’s Gamburtsev Province (AGAP) Project – Aeromagnetic data (2007-2009) [Data set]. UK Polar Data Centre, Natural Environment Research Council, UK Research & Innovation. https://doi.org/10.5285/91DF43DF-E3FD-4637-9091-E75F623E2B07

Gravity data:

• Jordan, T., Ferraccioli, F., Bell, R., Damaske, D., & Robinson, C. (2020). Antarctica’s Gamburtsev Province (AGAP) Project – Airborne gravity data (2007-2009) [Data set]. UK Polar Data Centre, Natural Environment Research Council, UK Research & Innovation. https://doi.org/10.5285/8E5F910B-11D6-4A9D-BDF7-175C9B98CFB8

Bed and surface elevation picks data:

• Corr, H., Ferraccioli, F., Jordan, T., & Robinson, C. (2020). Antarctica’s Gamburtsev Province (AGAP) Project – Radio-echo sounding data (2007-2009) [Data set]. UK Polar Data Centre, Natural Environment Research Council, UK Research & Innovation. https://doi.org/10.5285/0F6F5A45-D8AF-4511-A264-B0B35EE34AF6

Radar data:

• Corr, H., Ferraccioli, F., Jordan, T., & Robinson, C. (2021). Processed airborne radio-echo sounding data from the AGAP survey covering Antarctica’s Gamburtsev Province, East Antarctica (2007/2009) (Version 1.0) [Data set]. NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/A1ABF071-85FC-4118-AD37-7F186B72C847

Data Portal

Airborne Geophysics data can also be accessed through the new Airborne Geophysics Data Portal.

More information about the Portal can be found here: https://www.bas.ac.uk/project/nagdp/#about

Publications

Bell, R. E., F. Ferraccioli, T. T. Creyts, D. Braaten, H. Corr, I. Das, D. Damaske, N. Frearson, T. A. Jordan, K. Rose, M. Studinger and M. Wolovick (2011). “Widespread Persistent Thickening of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet by Freezing from the Base.” Science 331: 1592-1595, doi: 1510.1126/science.1200109

Ferraccioli, F., C. Finn, T. A. Jordan, R. E. Bell, L. M. Anderson and D. Damaske (2011). “East Antarctic rifting triggers uplift of the Gamburtsev Mountains.” Nature 479: 388-392, doi:310.1038/nature10566.

Rose, K. C., F. Ferraccioli, S. S. R. Jamieson, R. E. Bell, H. Corr, T. T. Creyts, D. Braaten, T. A. Jordan, P. Fretwell and D. Damaske (2013). “Early East Antarctic Ice Sheet Growth Recorded in the Landscape of the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains.” Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 375: 1-12.

Creyts, T. T., F. Ferraccioli, R. E. Bell, M. Wolovick, H. Corr, K. C. Rose, N. Frearson, D. Damaske, T. Jordan and D. Braaten (2014). “Freezing of ridges and water networks preserves the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains for millions of years.” Geophys. Res. Lett. 41(22): 8114-8122.

1. Airborne Geophysics

   Enabling ice observation programmes

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2. Aerogravity system

   BAS has developed aerogravity systems that can be mounted in its geophysical survey aircraft, or in a UAV. Over 100,000 km of gravity data has been collected since such systems were first deployed in 1993.

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3. Polarimetric Radar

   The radar system is composed of a complex waveform generator, signal processor, data handler and data store.

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4. Twin Otter aircraft

   The Twin Otter is a high-wing, twin-engine, turbo-prop aircraft. They are used all over the world and are known for their rugged construction, reliability and short take-off and landing performance.

   Read more of: Twin Otter aircraft