00:33 Vast Hidden Lake Detected in Antarctica Vast lake detected under Antarctic ice

<img class="styles__noscript__2rw2y" src="https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/snow_eagle_aircraft_and_camp_for_icecap2_0.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0" srcset="https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/snow_eagle_aircraft_and_camp_for_icecap2_0.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 400w, https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/snow_eagle_aircraft_and_camp_for_icecap2_0.jpg?v=ap&w=980&h=551&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 800w" > Scientists believe a hidden lake could be hiding underneath Antarctica, according to information presented at the European Geosciences Union meeting last week. (Stewart Jamieson/Durham University) (Stewart Jamieson/Durham University)

Could a secret lake be lurking beneath the icy exterior of Antarctica?

During a European Geosciences Union meeting in Vienna last week, scientists suggested the existence of a heretofore unknown massive subglacial lake, according to a report from the New Scientist . The researchers based their claims off of satellite imagery, in which they recognized "grooves" which would indicate "outflow" coming from a hidden "ribbon shaped lake," measuring approximately 60 miles long by six miles wide. If confirmed, it would be the second largest lake on the continent.

The researchers said the alleged lake remained the "last un-researched part of Antarctica" and the team had been inspecting the surface images of the ice sheet for several years, using ice penetrating radar data to try to confirm their hypothesis. The team will analyze the results in May to confirm whether their premise holds water.

Earlier this year, the researchers announced they believed they had found the world's largest canyon, located in an uncharted area of Antarctica known as Princess Elizabeth Land, in a report published in the journal Geology .

MORE: Scientists Discover World's Largest Canyon Under Antarctica

<img class="styles__noscript__2rw2y" src="https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/princess-grand-canyon.jpg.653x0_q80_crop-smart.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0" srcset="https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/princess-grand-canyon.jpg.653x0_q80_crop-smart.jpg?v=at&w=485&h=273&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 400w, https://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/princess-grand-canyon.jpg.653x0_q80_crop-smart.jpg?v=ap&w=980&h=551&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0 800w" > Earlier this year, the world's largest canyon system was detected under glacial ice in Antarctica (MODIS / Newcastle University) (MODIS / Newcastle University) "In the paper, which came out in Geology at the start of the year, we proposed that in this unsurveyed region of Antarctica there may be 2 sets of interesting (and large) features buried beneath the ice sheet," Stewart Jamieson, lead researcher of the study, told weather.com in an email. "First, there may be a large subglacial lake, and second, there may be a series of very large canyons. An initial survey of the area, using radar, has now been carried out and the task that now lies ahead is to analyse and interpret a large amount of data with respect to the lake and canyons. We hope to be able to present some of this later in the year."

Martin Siegert, co-researcher from Imperial College London, told weather.com in an email that the scientists will look over the aerial surveys and make their conclusions soon.

"(Our) attention (is) focused in Princess Elizabeth Land as there are no bed data, hence using the satellite data was all we had to infer bed conditions," Siegert explained. "The new geophysical data will tell us one way or other whether our analysis is right or not. The surface features are real enough and they must be formed by something. The test will come later this year!'

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