These traces, considered one of the most surprising evidence of the region’s glacial past, were discussed in a study published in the journal Nature Communications. The research stated that the traces in question were traces left by giant city-sized icebergs that floated near the coast of the United Kingdom approximately 18,000 years ago.
The British Antarctic Survey led the research. The agency’s experts identified these structures in seismic survey data initially used to locate drilling platforms in the Witch Ground basin.
The discovery could offer new clues about how climate change and global warming have affected the evolution of Antarctica over time, according to analysis by The Independent.
Discovered by chance
The discovery happened by chance while searching for structures linked to fossil fuels. Researchers noticed huge scallop-shaped grooves on the seafloor.
Marine geophysicist James Kirkham, who led the study, told Oceanographic that these were giant tabular icebergs that may have reached tens of kilometers wide in the past.
The same publication states that this is not the first time such tracks have been found in the North Sea, but this discovery provides the first clear evidence that large-sized icebergs are also moving near Great Britain.
This discovery not only confirms the existence of huge ice masses in the region in the past; It also suggests that the British-Irish ice sheet may have formed a much larger ice platform than previously thought.
In addition to providing information about the Earth’s past, the study can also help understand future scenarios. According to Muy Interesante, the pattern observed in the North Sea is similar to some processes occurring in Antarctica today. The gradual deterioration of ice platforms in Antarctica is a serious concern for scientists.
