Science & Technology

'Grand Canyon' found under Greenland ice

By T.K. Randall
September 2, 2013 ·  15 comments

Greenland's vast ice sheets. Image Credit: CC 2.0 Christine Zenino Researchers led by geographer Jonathan Bamber of the University of Bristol have pieced together several years worth of radar data to build up a picture of what lies beneath Greenland's ice sheets. What they found was a huge canyon 460 miles long and 2,600ft deep hidden below the ice, a veritable Grand Canyon that had until now remained completely undiscovered.The British Antarctic Survey has expressed great surprise that such a massive geological feature could have remained hidden for so long. Researchers believe that the canyon plays an important role in transporting melt water down towards the ocean through a series of rivers beneath the ice.

"One might assume that the landscape of the Earth has been fully explored and mapped," said Bamber. "Our research shows there's still a lot left to discover."

Source: LA Times | Comments (15)

Tags: Greenland, Ice Sheet, Canyon