Bedmap3 is the most comprehensive map of Antarctica's landscape beneath the ice sheet, built upon Bedmap2.
It includes data from 84 new aero-geophysical surveys, 52 million more data points, and 1.9 million kilometers of measurements.
The map helps fill knowledge gaps about major mountain ranges, East Antarctica’s deep interior, and the Antarctic Peninsula.
It provides a detailed view of Antarctica without the ice, showing the distribution of ice and underlying terrain.
Bedmap3 reveals that the thickest ice in Antarctica, at 4.7 km, is in an uninhabited canyon in Wilkes Land, not in the Astrolabe Basin.
The average ice thickness across Antarctica is 1.9 km.
The updated map suggests that Antarctica’s ice sheet is thicker and has a larger volume than previously believed, increasing its vulnerability to melting.
This melting is significant for global sea level rise, as the ice sheet plays a major role in Earth's sea levels.
Bedmap3 also helps scientists understand the interaction between the ice sheet and the bedrock, providing insights into future ice sheet behavior as global temperatures rise.
The map is crucial in predicting future rates of ice loss, which are a major factor in the uncertainty of sea-level rise projections.
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