Do you think the white frozen sheets over Antarctica may hold a secret? This White, frozen, and solid Antarctica, although it looks quiet but beneath those endless plains of ice something enormous is going on. Scientists have revealed an entire hidden volcanic landscape buried under the continent. A China-led international research team has created the first complete identity archive of subglacial volcanoes in Antarctica, with 207 in number.
As per the journal published on February 3, the Earth-Science Reviews introduces a new digital catalogue called ANT-SGV-25, described as a major step forward in polar science.
Antarctica’s ice covers 207 volcanoes, new study reveals
ANT-SGV-25 is being called the world’s first comprehensive digital archive of Antarctica’s subglacial volcanoes. The project was developed by the Polar Research Institute of China, working alongside international partners including the University of Exeter. The frozen continent has long been imagined as geologically calm, but that idea doesn’t really hold up anymore.
Antarctica is reportedly one of Earth’s major volcanic provinces. Many of its volcanoes are hidden beneath kilometres of ice, which makes them easy to forget. The report in ScienceDirect, catalogue confirms that 207 known volcanoes sit beneath the ice sheet. Some may be dormant. Others might still be active. When volcanoes erupt under ice, they don’t explode into the sky. Instead, they melt ice from below. Knowing where volcanoes are located helps scientists identify areas at higher risk of ice instability.
How hidden volcanoes reshape scientific thinking
ANT-SGV-25 isn’t just a map but a modelling tool. Researchers can now study how geothermal heat interacts with ice flow in specific regions. That matters as Antarctica warms. One scientist involved reportedly described the catalogue as a “public data product”. That phrase sounds dry. But it’s important. Anyone in the global research community can now use it.
Still, the presence of these volcanoes changes how scientists think about the continent. More volcanoes may still be hiding. Future studies might refine activity estimates or identify geothermal hot spots that matter most.
