Are the Pyramids in Antarctic Sign of an Ancient Civilization? Here’s What Geologists Say About It

At the southernmost part of our planet lies Antarctica's virtually uninhabitable, ice-covered region. Although it is the fifth largest continent globally, about 40% larger than Europe, it has no cities or villages since 98% of its landmass is covered by ice.

Antarctic explorations have begun since the end of the 19^th century, revealing some unique and strange features that cannot be observed in other parts of the world. Just recently, satellite images of terrains in Antarctica have been circulating online, allegedly showing evidence of pyramids.

The Mysterious Discovery

Antarctica is the coldest continent on the planet, with an average annual temperature of -57 degrees Celsius, even dropping to -90 degrees Celsius during the winter. With this extreme temperature, it is obvious that it is not an ideal place for humans to live or even establish a civilization.

However, a team of American and European scientists claims to have discovered three ancient pyramids in this region. Not much detail is known about the pyramids, and the team allegedly chooses to remain silent regarding their discovery. The only information provided by the scientists is their plan to conduct an expedition to the pyramids to investigate more about them and confirm if the structures are artificial or natural.

The Truth About the Pyramids in the Antarctic

According to Professor Eric Rignot from the University of California, the structures are most likely Antarctic mountains with unique, pyramid-like shapes. Their steep sides may result from hundreds of millions of years of erosion. Rignot further explained that mountains can achieve pyramid shapes, and many peaks partially look like the famous Egyptian pyramids.

One of the pyramidal mountains is one of the many peaks in Antarctica's Ellsworth Mountains, discovered on November 23, 1935, by American aviator Lincoln Ellsworth. The unnamed mountain lies at exactly 79°58'39.25"S 81°57'32.21"W in the southern region called Heritage Range. This area has unique fossils, such as the Cambrian-period trilobites, which lived more than 500 million years ago.

At just 4,150 feet, the mountain is not that tall by geographic standards, having only one-fifth the size of the tallest mountain in North America. According to Professor Mauri Pelto from Nichols College in Dudley, Massachusetts, what sets this mountain apart is its unique pyramidal shape that likely resulted from freeze-thaw erosion. This phenomenon happens when the cracks within a mountain are filled with snow or water during the day. As the temperature drops at night, the water becomes ice and expands, causing the cracks to grow bigger.

For millions of years, this freeze-thaw erosion has happened countless times and led to larger cracks, causing entire rock sections to break off. The same forces were also attributed to the shape of other pyramidal mountains, such as the Matterhorn in the Alps. Upon observing the mountain's surface, it was revealed that three of its four sides eroded at about the same rate. This suggests that the erosion came out so evenly that the rock type becomes fairly uniform.

Check out more news and information on Antarctica in Science Times.