The 10 Biggest Mysteries Hidden in Antarctica

Top-10-Greatest-Mysteries-of-Antarctica

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most fascinating and puzzling elements of uncertainty regarding the world’s southernmost continent: Antarctica.

#10: The Lava Lake

The Earth’s southernmost active volcano, known as Mount Erebus, contains one of nature’s many marvels: the lava lake. It’s one of less than 10 long-lasting lava lakes on the planet. A lava lake is a big amount of molten lava within a volcanic crater or depression. Much of Mount Erebus’ eruptive activity comes from its lava lake. While the eruptions tend to be notably mild, they emit gasses consisting of tiny gold crystals. Mount Erebus’ lava lake was deemed active in 1972 while the volcano’s activity itself is dated to approximately 1.3 million years ago. Historical evidence of a red glow around the volcano’s summit elicits the possibility that the lake dates to the late 19th or early 20th century. What’s perplexing for geologists is how this lava lake has been active for such an extended period of time.

#9: Southern Ocean

Encircling the continent of Antarctica is the Southern Ocean. While these under-researched waters extend beyond just Antarctica, the icy continent is very much linked to it. Research has shown that the westerly winds surrounding the Southern Ocean are instrumental in contributing to increases in ocean temperatures globally. However, the lead author of a 2022 global ocean heat uptake study, UNSW Ph.D candidate Maurice Huguenin, says we still have “a lot to learn.” Along with Matthew England, a professor at UNSW Science and co-author, the study suggests the Southern Ocean may become up to seven times warmer by 2100. This could have significant impacts, including disruption of the food web and the thawing of the Antarctic ice shelves. If, when, and how fast these changes will occur is uncertain.

#8: The Identities of the Dead

The 1819 San Telmo Shipwreck is the largest known disaster that resulted in fatalities in Antarctica and its surrounding waters, where over 600 people died. There have been other deadly shipwrecks in the past, too, plus several tragic plane crashes. The harsh conditions of Antarctica have led to a myriad of deaths of scientists and explorers. Many of the bodies may never be found, as they are buried deep beneath the ice - or in the ocean. In addition to the identities, the exact number of deaths that have occurred in and around Antarctica is also unknown. One specific mystery is a Chilean woman, whose body was actually found north of the Antarctic peninsula on one of the South Shetland islands. She was determined to have been dead since sometime between 1819 and 1825. What’s befuddling is how she got there and what she was doing there since indigenous Chileans didn’t have the means of traveling there at the time.

#7: The McMurdo Dry Valleys

The biggest ice-and-snow-free region in Antarctica is a desert known as the McMurdo Dry Valleys. These valleys have very low humidity and a substantial lack of precipitation. Data suggests that they are significantly affected by small modifications in climate, to an extent that is rather uncommon on our planet. In addition to being a place that can help us better understand ecosystems, the dry valleys could also be a research site to learn more about human-caused climate change. Plus, according to scientists, the environment of the McMurdo Dry Valleys is potentially the most similar to Mars out of everywhere on earth. In fact, it’s been posited that we could gain information about whether there is extraterrestrial life somewhere in this Antarctic region.

#6: The Giant Hole

In 2017, a monumental hole opened within the icy Weddell Sea, which borders Antarctica. A continual region of open water where you’d think sea ice would be because it’s also surrounded by sea ice is called a polynya. This particular polynya has been estimated to be as big as the state of South Carolina. While scientists aren’t 100% certain why the Weddell Polynya formed, it’s been theorized that strong ice pack cyclones were the cause. But, somehow, freezing wintry winds have not caused it to refreeze. Before 2017, this hole was frozen for decades. It was spotted by scientists in the 1970s, when it was approximately the size of Arizona, but then it disappeared. Why? No one knows for sure. Was it ever there before the 1970s? That’s another mystery. Due to location and harsh conditions, it’s a difficult area to study.

#5: What Were the Nazis Doing There?

In 1938, the MS Schwabenland took off on the 3rd German Antarctic Expedition. The ship embarked without any fanfare or big announcements, leading to a lack of public attention. What seems to be evident is that the goal of this expedition was to lay the foundations of a German whaling base so that they could produce fat from whale oil and thus reduce the Reich’s reliance on imports. Nazi Germany claimed the territory known as New Swabia. While this claim was forfeited at the end of WWII, a lack of information regarding the expedition led to many question marks. What did the Nazis really do there? What did they find? Despite a lack of proof, some even theorize that they built secret underground headquarters.

#4: UFOs

People have speculated about mysterious UFO sightings and the possible presence of aliens in many places around the world, even and perhaps especially, in Antarctica. In 2015, one retired naval flight engineer reported that his entire crew saw a bunch of round, “silver darting objects” in the air during his time doing missions there in the late 20th century. Another time, they flew above the ice and noticed an enormous circular figure, seemingly a hole in the ice, that appeared to be an entrance. Apparently, as they flew over, buttons in the plane stopped functioning and the power started going out. After landing, there were men who allegedly told the crew to never fly over the hole again and to never mention what happened. In 1947, polar explorer Admiral Richard Byrd supposedly said that he also once saw a massive hole in the Antarctic ice, claiming it was inhabited by extraterrestrials.

#3: Undiscovered Organisms

The harsh, unforgiving environment of Antarctica has made discoveries of new species all the more fascinating. This includes findings of microorganisms, crustaceans, and multiple types of fish surviving in extremely cold waters located deep under the ice. In 2015, a see-through fish with visible organs was discovered. Also that year, historically 50-million-year-old sperm cells from an extinct Antarctic worm were found. A 2017 expedition led to Indian scientists discovering a new plant species. In 2022, researchers found an underwater ecosystem beneath an Antarctic ice shelf, filled with mini shrimp-like organisms. With all these relatively recent discoveries of living things in Antarctica, it begs the question: What other organisms are out there, yet to be discovered?

#2: Deep Lake

Found in the hypersaline body of water known as Deep Lake is a microbial species called haloarchaea. What’s fascinated researchers about this is the reality that the extremely harsh and cold conditions of Deep Lake would be uninhabitable to other organisms. Yet, these microbes are able to thrive. Another extraordinary element of Deep Lake is the high levels of gene exchange that take place there. But this isn’t the only compelling lake in Antarctica. The continent consists of upwards of 400 underground lakes, with none bigger than Lake Vostok. There may very well be more than that (up to 675 even) - but we don’t know. What we do know is that there are many unknowns, as answers are floating far below the surface in these subglacial bodies of water.

#1: Were There Ever Any Civilizations There?

In 2017, a host of ancient forest fossil remnants were found by a group of scientists after they drilled a narrow hole in the ground in west Antarctica. Evidence, based on what was extracted, has led researchers to believe there was a time when Antarctica was much, much warmer. There were rainforests, as well as an estimated average annual temperature of between 53 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Given this, it’s made people wonder: Was there ever an ancient civilization there? Well, evidence is lacking, but some think so. One theory is that Antarctica was the home of the legendary lost city of Atlantis. Could it have been? Or could there have been some other ancient human society there? It’s definitely something to think about.

Let us know in the comments what your favorite Antarctica-related theory is!