The Rise of the Buried Ice Canyon in Greenland
We all know Greenland: the world’s largest island all covered in white especially when we just look at the world map. Don’t let that white patch fool you though, for beneath it is a frozen “megacanyon” that was just discovered after 4 million years. Now, it’s known as the Ice Canyon.
This beautiful accident just happened when scientists, who were focusing on the height of the ice above Greenland, suddenly discovered a “long linear feature that seemed to be pretty continuous” through the radar images they’ve shot.
The discovery is a gouge 50% longer than Arizona’s 277-mile Grand Canyon, but wasn’t as deep – ranging from 650 feet to 2,600 feet. The canyon starts from the center of Greenland then up to the Petermann Glacier which empties out the northern coast. Because of this, scientists speculated that this was an ancient river long before it was covered by today’s ice sheet.
Scientifically, this canyon was a bit of a help to explain climate change and what’s happening in Greenland. But at the same time, it’s an unexpected frozen treat.
