2. Antarctica Will Be Greener Than Ever Before

Antarctica is usually depicted as a flat, icy desert. But lately, that hasn’t been the case. Glacial scientists have recently revealed the existence of various features beneath the ice using advanced mapping technology. These features include over 400 lakes, including the largest in the world, Lake Vostok. There is also a deep network of rivers and canyons that surpass the Grand Canyon in size and complexity.

If the ice were to melt, these hidden landscapes would become visible to the world. While they have been frozen for eons now, within them are fascinating ecosystems that could flourish in the most extreme scenarios.

In some parts of the Antarctic, that’s already happening. According to new findings, the previously thought barren Antarctic is actually at least partially green. In fact, some areas like Green Island are covered in vibrant mosses. Clearly, that island’s name would seem to be apt. But while the ice-covered continent is still only about 1% green, the presence of hardy mosses beneath the surface suggests it may be getting greener.

A noted glaciologist from the University of Massachusetts named Rob DeConto explained how the greening process works in an interview with the Washington Post. “This is another indicator that Antarctica is moving backward in geologic time,” DeConto said. “Which makes sense, considering atmospheric CO2 levels have already risen to levels that the planet hasn’t seen since the Pliocene, 3 million years ago, when the Antarctic ice sheet was smaller.”^[9]

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