Scientists have produced the most detailed map to date of the vast and complex landscape concealed beneath the Antarctic ice sheet, revealing a dramatic world of mountains, deep canyons, and tens of thousands of previously unknown landforms.
The groundbreaking research, published in Science, identifies more than 30,000 hidden hills and valleys, offering an unprecedented view of terrain that had remained largely unexplored. Until recently, knowledge of Antarctica’s subglacial topography lagged behind maps of the surface of Mars.
Using a technique known as Ice Flow Perturbation Analysis, researchers analysed high-resolution satellite imagery to infer the shape of the bedrock beneath the ice. By observing how ice flows deform over hidden features, the team reconstructed detailed elevations and contours of the underlying landscape.
Scientists have devised the most detailed map to date of the terrain hidden below the vast ice sheet blanketing Antarctica, uncovering an exuberant landscape of mountains, canyons, valleys and plains while discerning for the first time tens of thousands of hills and other… pic.twitter.com/uhx7lrzNrq
— Yahoo News (@YahooNews) January 16, 2026Co-author Roobert Bingham of the University of Edinburgh said the findings mark a major step forward in polar science. He stressed that having the most accurate map of Antarctica’s bedrock is essential for understanding how ice moves and melts.
The data reveals extraordinary diversity, including a steep-sided valley stretching nearly 250 miles across the Maud Subglacial Basin. In some regions, the terrain appears sharp and jagged, resembling alpine mountain ranges rather than the smoother hills scientists once assumed. These differences are critical for predicting how ice sheets fracture and how icebergs melt.
Researchers say the map will significantly improve computer models that simulate how the Antarctic Ice Sheet responds to climate change. This is particularly important given that Antarctica holds around 70% of the world’s freshwater, locked within its ice.
Beyond unveiling Earth’s last major unexplored frontier, the new map provides vital ground truth for scientists working to forecast Antarctica’s future in a warming world—and its potential impact on global sea levels.
