From above, Antarctica might seem like a cold, flat and desolate landscape — and it certainly is. But beneath the ice sheet lies an entire hidden world: Scientists have discovered diverse biomes, hidden rivers and lakes, mountains and valleys, primordial bacteria, and even the remnants of ancient ecosystems.
Almost 90% of Antarctica's land is covered in a thick layer of ice — around 1.3 miles (2.2 kilometers) deep, on average — and it's been that way for around 34 million years. Yet researchers have only scratched the surface of what lies under the mysterious continent.
