Massive valley found beneath Antarctica
July 27th, 2012 - 6:52 pm ICT by Aishwarya BhattLondon, July 27 (THAINDIAN NEWS) British researchers from CNN say that they have discovered a grand canyon beneath Antarctica.
They say that they discovered a massive rift valley that is causing loss of ice in the Antarctic. They say that the rift resembles the Grand Canyon.
The leader of the team of researchers, Robert Bingham said that if ice is stripped from the area, people would see a great rift that resembles those that are found in Africa. His assistant also added that the rift is allowing warmer ocean waters to come in and they are contributing to the melting of ice.
The rift valley is in the western Antarctica, which is the area that is recently losing the most ice as compared to other polar regions. This report was given by the researchers this week.
Researchers say that the melting that is taking place in western Antarctica is contributing to 10 percent of the rise of the sea level in the world. It has been said that this will contribute a great deal in making scientists able to predict the rise of the sea levels.
The researchers discovered the valley in the year 2010 when they went to the Antarctica to research on why there was a rapid increase in the sea level. This was the first time the place was being explored in five decades.
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- Sea levels may rise much higher, says fossil study - Jul 16, 2012
- Polar ice melt 'accelerating rapidly, raising sea level' - Mar 09, 2011
- Melting ice in Canadian Arctic bigger player in sea-level rise - Apr 22, 2011
- Melting ice sheets largest contributor to sea level rise - Mar 10, 2011
- Melting glaciers on Arctic islands play major role in rise of sea level - Apr 21, 2011
- Pine Island Glacier behind thinning ice in Antarctica - Jun 21, 2010
- Greenland rapidly rising due to ice melting - May 19, 2010
- Melting icebergs causing sea level rise - Apr 29, 2010
- Warming ocean layers melt polar ice sheets faster - Jul 04, 2011
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