Scientists make jaw-dropping find after drilling more than 1,500 feet into Antarctic ice: 'We even discovered a school o

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

of lobster-like creatures'

More than half a mile beneath the surface of Antarctica's Kamb Ice Stream, scientists have uncovered a slow-moving river of water that's been hidden for millennia. This remarkable discovery is offering fresh insight into how Antarctica melts from below, and it could have big implications for the future of coastal towns and cities.

What's happening?
In a recent expedition, researchers drilled more than 1,600 feet into the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and discovered a subglacial river flowing beneath the Ross Ice Shelf, per Earth.com.

The river, about as tall as a 30-story building and as wide as a city block, is a blend of freshwater and seawater, slowly making its way toward the ocean.

"We struck water at the end of the borehole and with the help of our camera, we even discovered a school of lobster-like creatures — 400 kilometers from the open ocean," expedition leader Huw Horgan said.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/scientists-jaw-dropping-drilling-more-103011488.html

[proud patriot]

1. Wow

Very thought provoking

[NBachers]

2. Thanks for posting this. I like to see what the actual smart people are up to.

When I was a kid, we all wanted to grow up to be this kind of scientist – adventurer.

[dickthegrouch]

3. A mile used to be 5280 feet

What’s it been reduced to? (Per the article 1600 feet is now more than half a mile)
Who reduced it? The car companies so that we’d get more miles to the gallon????

[fargone]

4. Well it is more than a quarter mile, but half mile sounds more impressive.

[Exp]

10. Yah, interesting story, but when scientists, or journalists can't do math, I have to wonder.. nt

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. 500m + 252m is very nearly half a mile

Beneath approximately 500 m of ice, we used an acoustic sensor to image a 252-m high water-filled grounding-zone channel

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-025-01687-3

So they drilled through about 1600 feet of ice; the base of the channel is about 750 metres down - half a mile being about 800 metres.

I'd have put 252 metres as more than "a 30-story building".

[Tree Lady]

5. I always wonder if they unlock

Diseases we can't cure when they do stuff like that.

[Nigrum Cattus]

6. funny the things you find when you start look'in

"lobster-like creatures" = antarctic crayfish - gumbo time !
we have no idea how many of those subglacial rivers there are
or how much melt water they are producing - Greenland is similar

[kimbutgar]

7. I love these stories but get nervous about the findings like this

Because I have watched too many horror/science fiction stories where a monster is discovered and threatens the world. Too many 50’s movies in particular.

[Wonder Why]

8. The good old days. When all the monsters were not human. Then, again, they aren't human now either!

[slightlv]

11. Come on, Godzilla! n/t

[Borogove]

9. That's incredible. Our planet is endlessly fascinating.