Scientists from the University of Barcelona have created the most detailed map of the Antarctic seabed, where they discovered 332 colossal underwater canyons – some of them reaching depths of over 4 kilometers. This discovery could change perceptions of Antarctica's impact on global climate. This is reported by UNN with reference to an article in Science Daily.
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The latest study, published in the journal, has become the most comprehensive catalog of Antarctic submarine canyons. According to it, a network of 332 canyons, formed by glaciers and powerful sediment flows, stretches across the bottom of the Southern Ocean.
The authors of the work – David Amblas from the University of Barcelona and Riccardo Arosio from University College Cork – note that Antarctic canyons have a much greater impact on oceanic circulation and glacier melting than previously thought.
Some of the canyons reach over 4000 meters in depth. The most impressive of them are located in East Antarctica, where complex valley systems descend from the continental shelf to the ocean depths
Researchers found significant differences between East and West Antarctic canyons. The former are more branched and U-shaped, indicating prolonged glacial development, while the latter are shorter, steeper, and V-shaped.
In addition to their geological significance, these structures influence the climate: they contribute to the exchange of water masses, the formation of Antarctic bottom waters, and the transport of warm currents that accelerate the melting of ice shelves.
When ice shelves weaken, continental ice begins to flow into the sea faster, causing sea level rise