Scientists Trace Origins of Antarctica's Enigmatic Gravity Hole

(MENAFN) Researchers have traced the source of a mysterious gravitational anomaly lurking beneath Antarctica — a region where Earth's pull on objects is measurably weaker than normal — in findings that could reshape our understanding of the continent's icy past.

A study published in Scientific Reports reveals that superheated mantle rock ascending from deep within the planet gradually distorted gravitational patterns over tens of millions of years, with ripple effects on ocean behavior and the eventual formation of Antarctica's colossal ice sheets, media reported Tuesday.

To reconstruct the anomaly, scientists fused seismic data from global earthquakes with advanced physics-based simulations, producing a gravitational map that closely mirrors readings captured by orbiting satellites.

"If we can better understand how Earth's interior shapes gravity and sea levels, we gain insight into factors that may matter for the growth and stability of large ice sheets," said Alessandro Forte of the University of Florida.

Computer models stretching nearly 70 million years into the past pinpoint the anomaly's most dramatic intensification between 50 and 30 million years ago — a window that aligns strikingly with pivotal climate transformations and the aggressive advance of polar glaciers across the southern continent.

MENAFN22022026000045017169ID1110773264