{"id":18135,"date":"2025-07-23T14:20:08","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T14:20:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/18135\/"},"modified":"2025-07-23T14:20:08","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T14:20:08","slug":"scientists-reveal-most-detailed-map-of-antarcticas-seafloor-canyons-ever-made","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/18135\/","title":{"rendered":"Scientists Reveal Most Detailed Map of Antarctica\u2019s Seafloor Canyons Ever Made"},"content":{"rendered":"

A team of scientists using detailed scans of the ocean floor<\/a> around Earth\u2019s southern polar region has revealed the most detailed map ever of Antarctica<\/a>\u2019s seafloor canyons and valleys, including 332 canyon networks that reach depths of over 4,000 meters.<\/p>\n

The team said that improving the quality of the world\u2019s seafloor maps<\/a> fills in knowledge gaps about one of the planet\u2019s most underexplored and inaccessible<\/a> regions, while helping enhance computer models used to predict the effects of climate change<\/a> as global temperatures continue to rise.<\/p>\n

To date, only about 17% of the planet\u2019s ocean floor has been mapped<\/a> in high resolution, with scientists identifying around 10,000 submarine canyons<\/a> worldwide. These maps are even more scarce in the remote parts of the planet, such as the North and South polar regions, due to the challenges of gathering the necessary data<\/a>. This lack of data on seafloor composition<\/a> and topography, including canyons that affect ocean water flow, has had a profound impact on scientific efforts to understand ocean dynamics both globally and locally.<\/p>\n

\"Antarctica\"The submarine canyons that form valleys carved into the seafloor play a decisive role in ocean dynamics. Image Credit: MARC CERD\u00c0 \u2013 UNIVERSITY OF BARCELONA<\/p>\n

According to a statement<\/a> announcing the detailed map of Antarctica\u2019s seafloor, the submarine canyon systems in this region are formed by high-speed \u201cturbidity currents\u201d that erode the valleys as they flow through them. Combined with the abundance of glacial sediments carried along by these currents, the team said they contribute to the formation of the large canyons seen today. While the region\u2019s submarine canyons share similarities with others around the world, a key difference has been revealed through their mapping effort.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike those in the Arctic, Antarctic submarine canyons resemble canyons in other parts of the world,\u201d the study\u2019s co-lead author David Ambl\u00e0s of the University of Barcelona explained. \u201cBut they tend to be larger and deeper because of the prolonged action of polar ice and the immense volumes of sediment transported by glaciers to the continental shelf.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Antartica'sThe Antarctic canyons also facilitate water exchange between the deep ocean and the continental shelf. Image Credit: MARINE GEOLOGY<\/p>\n

Hoping to change the equation, Ambl\u00e0s and co-author Riccardo Arosio of University College Cork, developed a tool to take currently available data on the Antarctic seafloor and create a more detailed topographic map. According to the team\u2019s statement announcing the map\u2019s publication, they were able to take advantage of Version 2 of the International Bathymetric Chart of the Southern Ocean (IBCSO v2), which they describe as \u201cthe most complete and detailed map of the seafloor in this region.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks to the high resolution of the new bathymetric database \u2014 500 metres per pixel compared to the 1\u20132 kilometres per pixel of previous maps \u2014 we could apply semi-automated techniques more reliably to identify, profile and analyse submarine canyons,\u201d Arosio explained.<\/p>\n

In total, the team\u2019s customized tool combines bathymetric data and a \u201csemi-automated method for identifying and analyzing canyons\u201d to describe a total of 15 \u201cmorphometric\u201d parameters. The team said these data points revealed ultra-deep canyons and morphological differences in the seafloor topography between Antarctica\u2019s east and west coasts. Ambl\u00e0s said some of the canyons their tool unearthed were over 4,000 meters deep.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most spectacular of these are in East Antarctica, which is characterized by complex, branching canyon systems,\u201d the researcher explained.<\/p>\n

\"mapA new high-resolution catalogue identifies 332 submarine canyon networks on the seafloor of the Antarctic continent. Image Credit:
MARINE GEOLOGY<\/p>\n

The team also noted that the map of the Antarctica seafloor captured on the continent\u2019s east coast showed how these systems often began with multiple heads near the continent\u2019s edge. Ambl\u00e0s said the systems of canyons ultimately merged into a single \u201cmain\u201d channel that descends into the deep ocean, \u201ccrossing the sharp, steep gradients of the continental slope.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was particularly interesting to see the differences between canyons in the two major Antarctic regions, as this hadn\u2019t been described before,\u201d Arosio noted. \u201cEast Antarctic canyons are more complex and branched, often forming extensive canyon\u2013channel systems with typical U-shaped cross sections.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The new map of Antarctica also showed that in contrast to the east coast, the continent\u2019s west coast was more likely to have canyons that are shorter and steeper with V-shaped cross sections. Although more research into the coastal differences of these deep-sea canyons is needed, Arosio said the deeper eastern canyons suggest \u201cprolonged development under sustained glacial activity and a greater influence of both erosional and depositional sedimentary processes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ambl\u00e0s said this morphological difference, which had been suggested by the area\u2019s sedimentary records, offers support for the idea that the East Antarctica Ice Sheet started earlier and experienced more prolonged development than the shorter West Antarctica Ice Sheet. However, the researcher said that before their new map of the Antarctica seafloor was created, \u201cit hadn\u2019t yet been described in large-scale seafloor geomorphology.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe strength of the study lies in its combination of various techniques that were already used in previous work but that are now integrated into a robust and systematic protocol,\u201d Arosio said in his conclusion \u201cWe also developed a GIS software script that allows us to calculate a wide range of canyon-specific morphometric parameters in just a few clicks\u201d.<\/p>\n

The study \u201cThe geomorphometry of Antarctic submarine canyons<\/a>\u201d was published in Marine Geology.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Christopher Plain is a Science Fiction and Fantasy novelist and Head Science Writer at The Debrief. Follow and connect with him on X<\/a>, learn about his books at plainfiction.com<\/a>, or email him directly at christopher@thedebrief.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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