View in EDS HTML Full Text PDF Full Text

Complex mesoscale landscapes beneath Antarctica mapped from space.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Complex mesoscale landscapes beneath Antarctica mapped from space.
Authors: Ockenden, Helen (AUTHOR), Bingham, Robert G. (AUTHOR), Goldberg, Daniel (AUTHOR), Curtis, Andrew (AUTHOR), Morlighem, Mathieu (AUTHOR)
Source: Science. 1/15/2026, Vol. 391 Issue 6782, p314-319. 6p.
Subjects: Topography, Geomorphology, Ice mechanics, Antarctic climate, Remote sensing, Ice sheets, Glaciology, Climate change
Geographic Terms: Antarctica, Antarctic Ice Sheet (Antarctica)
Abstract: The landscape shrouded by the Antarctic Ice Sheet provides important insights into its history and influences the ice response to climate forcing. However, knowledge of this critical boundary has depended on interpolation between irregularly distributed geophysical surveys, creating major spatial biases in maps of Antarctica's subglacial landscape. As stress changes associated with ice flow over bedrock obstacles produce ice surface topography, recently acquired, high-resolution satellite maps of the ice surface offer a transformative basis for mapping subglacial landforms. We present a continental-scale elevation map of Antarctica's subglacial topography produced by applying the physics of ice flow to ice surface maps and incorporating geophysical ice thickness observations. Our results enrich understanding of mesoscale (2 to 30 kilometers) subglacial landforms and unmask the spatial distribution of subglacial roughness and geomorphology. Editor's summary: What do we know about the landscapes beneath the ice of Antarctica? Less than we know about Mercury. To map the continent's subglacial topography, Ockenden et al. developed a way to invert ice surface satellite data based on the physics of how ice gets perturbed when flowing over bedrock features (see the Perspective by Young). Their map unveils a variety of terrains, including high-relief alpine valleys, scoured lowlands, and deeply eroded ice stream troughs. The landscapes are more varied than presumed by earlier site-specific geophysical surveys, and the newly resolved topography will help to refine projections of ice loss and sea level rise. —Angela Hessler [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Science is the property of American Association for the Advancement of Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
Full text is not displayed to guests.
FullText Links:
  – Type: pdflink
Text:
  Availability: 1
Header DbId: pbh
DbLabel: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
An: 190913850
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Complex mesoscale landscapes beneath Antarctica mapped from space.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ockenden%2C+Helen%22">Ockenden, Helen</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Bingham%2C+Robert+G%2E%22">Bingham, Robert G.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Goldberg%2C+Daniel%22">Goldberg, Daniel</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Curtis%2C+Andrew%22">Curtis, Andrew</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Morlighem%2C+Mathieu%22">Morlighem, Mathieu</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Science%22">Science</searchLink>. 1/15/2026, Vol. 391 Issue 6782, p314-319. 6p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subjects
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Topography%22">Topography</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Geomorphology%22">Geomorphology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ice+mechanics%22">Ice mechanics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Antarctic+climate%22">Antarctic climate</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Remote+sensing%22">Remote sensing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ice+sheets%22">Ice sheets</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Glaciology%22">Glaciology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Climate+change%22">Climate change</searchLink>
– Name: SubjectGeographic
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Antarctica%22">Antarctica</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Antarctic+Ice+Sheet+%28Antarctica%29%22">Antarctic Ice Sheet (Antarctica)</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: The landscape shrouded by the Antarctic Ice Sheet provides important insights into its history and influences the ice response to climate forcing. However, knowledge of this critical boundary has depended on interpolation between irregularly distributed geophysical surveys, creating major spatial biases in maps of Antarctica's subglacial landscape. As stress changes associated with ice flow over bedrock obstacles produce ice surface topography, recently acquired, high-resolution satellite maps of the ice surface offer a transformative basis for mapping subglacial landforms. We present a continental-scale elevation map of Antarctica's subglacial topography produced by applying the physics of ice flow to ice surface maps and incorporating geophysical ice thickness observations. Our results enrich understanding of mesoscale (2 to 30 kilometers) subglacial landforms and unmask the spatial distribution of subglacial roughness and geomorphology. Editor's summary: What do we know about the landscapes beneath the ice of Antarctica? Less than we know about Mercury. To map the continent's subglacial topography, Ockenden et al. developed a way to invert ice surface satellite data based on the physics of how ice gets perturbed when flowing over bedrock features (see the Perspective by Young). Their map unveils a variety of terrains, including high-relief alpine valleys, scoured lowlands, and deeply eroded ice stream troughs. The landscapes are more varied than presumed by earlier site-specific geophysical surveys, and the newly resolved topography will help to refine projections of ice loss and sea level rise. —Angela Hessler [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Science is the property of American Association for the Advancement of Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=190913850
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1126/science.ady2532
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 6
        StartPage: 314
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Topography
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Geomorphology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ice mechanics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Antarctic climate
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Remote sensing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ice sheets
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Glaciology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Climate change
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Antarctica
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Antarctic Ice Sheet (Antarctica)
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Complex mesoscale landscapes beneath Antarctica mapped from space.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Ockenden, Helen
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Bingham, Robert G.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Goldberg, Daniel
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Curtis, Andrew
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Morlighem, Mathieu
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 15
              M: 01
              Text: 1/15/2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 00368075
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 391
            – Type: issue
              Value: 6782
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Science
              Type: main
ResultId 1