A groundbreaking new map,Bedmap3, has provided the most detailed view yet of the hidden landscape beneath Antarctica’s ice sheet, revealing towering mountains, deep valleys, and critical grounding lines where ice meets the ocean.

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has released the most detailed map yet of what Antarctica looks like when you strip away its ubiquitous cover of ice and snow. Derived from 60 years of data, it will help scientists understand ice flows better.

The British Antarctic Survey have released the most detailed map yet of the landscape beneath Antarctica's ice sheet

There are few frontiers in the world that can still be said to be unexplored. One of these terra incognita is the land beneath Antarctica’s ice sheets. Buried under kilometres of ice is a fascinating realm of canyons,

As the planet warms, Antarctica's ice sheet is melting and contributing to sea-level rise around the globe. Antarctica holds enough frozen water to raise global sea levels by 190 feet, so precisely predicting how it will move and melt now and in the future is vital for protecting coastal areas.

"In general, it's become clear the Antarctic Ice Sheet is thicker than we originally realised and has a larger volume of ice that is grounded on a rock bed sitting below sea-level. This puts the ice at greater risk of melting due to the incursion of warm ocean water that's occurring at the fringes of the continent,” he said.

Scientists from New Brunswick are part of Canada's expedition to Antarctica mapping the ocean floor trying to better understand what's happening to sea life and geological history as the climate warms and freshwater glaciers melt.