India, June 16 -- Scientists have discovered an ancient landscape beneath a mile of ice in Antarctica, a place that was likely once home to rivers and forests. This area, which has remained untouched for over 34 million years, spans about 12,000 square miles and is located in a remote part of East Antarctica known as Wilkes Land.

"This is like opening a time capsule," said Professor Stewart Jamieson, a geologist from Durham University and lead author of the study. Jamieson and his team began investigating the region in 2017, using satellite data and ice-penetrating radar. They found towering ridges and deep valleys, which suggest that rivers and forests once thrived there. Millions of years ago, Antarctica drifted toward the South Pole, ...