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Beneath Antarctica’s endless ice, researchers have uncovered something no one expected to find. The discovery doesn’t fit established timelines and challenges long-held assumptions about human history on the continent. Now, scientists are being forced to reconsider what may have existed on Earth far earlier than we ever imagined.
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00:00You're on a yacht in the south of France and get lost at sea.
00:03Your phone has no signal and the GPS stops working.
00:07There's no way you could swim to safety.
00:09Your chances of surviving are pretty much zero.
00:13Today's story is kind of like that.
00:15But swap the sunny vibes for the Côte d'Azur for the freezing winds of Antarctica.
00:20And instead of calm blue waters, picture a sea packed with towering ice as far as you can see.
00:27Oh, and forget about phones or GPS. Those didn't even exist back then.
00:33So yeah, getting through something like that is basically impossible.
00:37But for the crew aboard the Endurance, this wasn't just some what-if scenario.
00:41It was real life. And yet, they survived by leaving their ship behind.
00:46Fast forward more than 100 years and scientists finally found their vessel deep in the ocean.
00:52Now, new 3D images are helping us bring one of the greatest real-life survival stories to life.
00:59All right, from the top.
01:01Back in 1914, the Anglo-Irish explorer Ernest Shackleton pulled together 26 men for the boldest adventure of their lives
01:09to cross Antarctica.
01:11We're talking about the toughest places on Earth. A frozen wasteland with brutal winds,
01:17long dark nights, and freezing temperatures that can drop below minus 76 degrees Fahrenheit.
01:23But for the crew of the Endurance, getting there just sounded like a good time.
01:28So, on August 8th, 1914, they set sail on their maiden voyage.
01:34And by October of that same year, they made it to South Georgia Island.
01:39From there, they'd finally head toward their main goal, the Weddell Sea, on the coast of Antarctica.
01:45This place is known for its brutal winds, thick sea ice, and freezing waters.
01:51Yep, not exactly the coziest place to be.
01:54Only two days after they left South Georgia, the Endurance ran into a bunch of thick ice,
02:00and they started moving super slowly. Thick slabs of ice locked around the ship like a slow,
02:07silent trap. At first, the crew waited. Maybe the ice would break up. Maybe the ship could push through.
02:14But days passed. Then weeks. Then months. The ship was stuck.
02:20Completely wedged into the frozen sea, unable to move.
02:26It was February. A small patch of open water suddenly appeared a little way ahead of the Endurance.
02:32There was hope. But getting there wouldn't be easy. The ship was still surrounded by solid ice,
02:37completely blocking the way. Some of it was nearly 18 feet thick.
02:43The crew worked hard all day, cutting a narrow channel through the ice. The next day, they tried again.
02:48They even used ropes to pull away huge chunks of ice, each one weighing around 20 tons.
02:55But the space they cleared was too small for the ship to build up enough speed.
02:59And to make matters worse, the ice was already starting to freeze over again.
03:04At some point, the captain decided they needed to stop.
03:09More months went by, and the ship was totally trapped.
03:12They even saw some cracks in the ice here and there. But nothing could actually help them.
03:17And then, things got worse. The pressure from the ice wasn't just holding the ship anymore.
03:24It was crushing it. You could hear the timbers groan and the hull creak.
03:28Bit by bit, the ship started to break apart. Then in October, yeah, a year later, Shackleton had made
03:36the call. Abandon ship. And he was right. Because in November, the Endurance gave in to the pressure.
03:42The front masts collapsed as the bow was crushed. A few days later, the stern was lifted out of the
03:49ice. And then, the whole wreck dropped into the ocean. And just like that, the Endurance was gone,
03:55buried beneath the ice. Okay, but what happened to the crew? The men grabbed whatever they could and
04:02set up camp right on the ice, stranded in a world of nothing but white in every direction.
04:07No radio. No help coming. And no way to know how long the ice would hold.
04:13For months, they drifted with the frozen sea, camping on moving slabs of ice. Always alert.
04:21Eventually, they climbed into small wooden lifeboats and started rowing through freezing waters,
04:26dodging towering icebergs, battling waves that soaked them to the bone. It was exhausting, freezing,
04:33terrifying. But they kept going. Finally, they landed on an isolated rocky stretch of land called
04:40Elephant Island. Their first solid ground in over a year. But it was uninhabited and offered no real
04:47chance of rescue. So Shackleton picked five men, loaded up the strongest lifeboat, and set across 800 miles of
04:55open ocean to try and get help. The journey took over two weeks, and they faced everything that
05:01could drive any man to madness. Storms, freezing spray, and waves the size of small buildings.
05:08But Shackleton kept his positivity. Losing his men wasn't an option. Thanks to his amazing leadership,
05:15they managed to reach land. They landed on South Georgia Island, but on the opposite side from where
05:21they needed to be. That meant they still had to trek for 36 hours across the island to finally reach
05:27the whaling station on the other side. Thankfully, they made it.
05:32If you were in their position, you'd probably take a hot shower and curl up in a fetal position
05:37for a couple of months. But that wasn't an option for Shackleton. He didn't rest. Instead,
05:43he immediately started working on a plan to get the 22 men who were still stuck on Elephant Island.
05:50After several failed rescue attempts, the authorities finally lent Shackleton a tugboat.
05:55That's a type of boat that moves other vessels by pushing or pulling them. When they were approaching
06:01Elephant Island on August 30th, 1916, the captain saw something. A smoke signal coming from the shore.
06:08Yep, against all odds, everyone survived. As you already know, the ship didn't make it. It completely
06:16vanished until 2022, when it was finally located on the seafloor, at a depth of roughly 10,000 feet
06:23in the Weddell Sea. It made headlines around the world and the footage of the Endurance showed that
06:29it was beautifully preserved in icy waters. Its timbers looked brand new and its basic structure was still
06:36intact. The wreck was covered by sponges, sea anemones, sea lilies, and starfish. It was all
06:43amazingly eerie. But how's it in such good shape? Even though it looked like any other ship of its size,
06:50it wasn't. The Endurance was built to survive tough ice conditions. Every detail was planned for maximum
06:58durability. The joints and fittings were cross-braced for strength. It was made of thick oak and Norwegian
07:05fir planks and covered in greenheart, which is a really strong wood. The bow was built to face the
07:12ice directly. Each piece of timber came from a single oak tree, shaped to match the curve of the ship.
07:18That's what helped them survive in the ice for so long. At the end of 2024, specialists did the first
07:263D
07:26scan of the ship. They used underwater robots to map the wreck from every angle, taking thousands of
07:32photos. These were then stitched together to create a digital twin. And now you can check it out online.
07:40Forget about getting close to the wreck though. I mean, Antarctica is still one of the most remote
07:46places on Earth. So just getting there could be a huge challenge. As the world warms and the ice in
07:53the
07:53polar south continues to melt, specialists think there will be more chances to access the wreck. But they want
08:00to keep it protected. There's even been talk about how to preserve the endurance. One idea is getting
08:06cruise ship owners to agree not to go anywhere near the wreck. So yeah, it's probably safe to say that
08:12people in general will probably never get to visit it up close. At least, not in the near future.
08:20Welcome to one of the most mysterious and unexplored places on Earth. Um, but what's so special about that?
08:28It's just some icy peaks and the endless snowy expanse of Antarctica. Yeah, that's right. But there's still
08:35a planetary scale mystery here. No matter how hard you try, you won't see a hidden mountain range,
08:41giant unexplored land where no human has ever set foot. And it lies under another layer of mountains.
08:49It's like a nesting doll, but the size of a continent. These mountains hide Antarctica secrets.
08:55And these secrets can tell us something awesome about the ancient history of our planet.
09:02This gigantic unexplored territory in Antarctica is called the Gambritsev
09:08subglacial mountains. And the layer of ice above keeps this place untouched by nature and people.
09:15It's like a land inside another land, and it hides more than just mountains.
09:20There are valleys, hills, and plains. The whole area is similar to the European Alps.
09:26But unfortunately, we can't enjoy the view. Those mountains were first discovered in 1958 using
09:33seismological instruments. More than half a century has passed since then, and this place still remains
09:40one of the most poorly studied tectonic objects on Earth. Why? Because it's ice. A lot of ice.
09:49Who knows? Maybe there are some unknown ancient artifacts lying there. What if they're hiding a secret
09:54city or spaceships? It's unlikely, of course, but it would still be interesting to look there.
10:00Think about it. Hundreds or even thousands of miles of land that have remained unchanged for hundreds of
10:07millions of years. Even if no new species of animals or remains of an ancient civilization are there,
10:14this place still has a history. The history of the formation of continents on our planet.
10:20And scientists have already figured out some of this story.
10:26The mountains buried in Antarctica were originally like ordinary mountains, but as a result of a
10:32planetary scale event, they just... Wait a minute. Have you ever wondered how mountain ranges are formed?
10:38We see them in real life. In movies. In photos on the internet. We climb them. But how did they
10:44appear?
10:46Mountains have not always existed on the planet in this form. They appeared as a result of a large-scale
10:51collision of tectonic plates. Two giant solid chunks of ground are moving toward each other,
10:57then crash, and boom! Millions of tons of the Earth's crust pile on top of each other, mix, and form
11:06ledges and gorges.
11:08And all this can last for millions of years. Yes, it's a disaster, but it's very slow.
11:16Some tectonic plates are still colliding. For example, the Himalayas continue to grow because the Indian and
11:22Eurasian plates are still ramming into each other. And this process began about 50 million years ago.
11:29The Gambertsev Mountains under ice experienced a similar event, only much earlier. An article in the
11:36journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters says that they appeared during the formation of the
11:41supercontinent Gondwana. Two giant pieces of land were separated by a boundless ocean. But then,
11:49about 700 million years ago, they collided and formed Gondwana. This supercontinent included the
11:57territories of modern Africa, South America, Australia, India, and Antarctica. The giant pieces crashed into
12:05each other and released a stream of hot, partially molten rock. This mess grew bigger and bigger, forming mountains.
12:12The temperature of those mountains grew, their mass increased, and at some point, Gondwana became unstable.
12:20The supercontinent began to collapse under its own weight.
12:24The hot rocks below the surface began to flow sideways as a result of a process called
12:30gravitational spreading. Take toothpaste and start squeezing it out of the tube.
12:35Approximately the same thing happened with billions of tons of red hot rock. Ancient mountains in Antarctica
12:42appeared right during this catastrophic event. You've just watched a visual simulation of global
12:49events that took place hundreds of millions of years ago. It looks cool, but how did scientists figure
12:55it out? How did they see this planetary scale destruction? If the Gambertsev Mountains under ice is
13:02one of the most unexplored places in the world, then how could people find out its origin? The answer
13:09is simple. Tiny particles of rock have told us about the changing landscape of the planet. These are
13:17zircons, but scientists also call them time capsules. This mineral is very handy and resistant to mechanical
13:24and chemical influences. It's difficult to crush, it doesn't get affected by erosion, and it doesn't
13:30dissolve in water. And there's uranium inside it. This chemical element shows scientists the age of
13:38the rock. The fact is that uranium always decays into lead at the same rate. Scientists look at the
13:45ratio of uranium and lead and determine the age of minerals with great accuracy. Okay, this sounds a
13:52bit complicated. Here's a simple example. Imagine that each mountain belt is a clock that starts ticking at
13:59the moment of its formation, that is, after the collision of tectonic plates. After the rock forms,
14:06uranium begins its slow decay. The more time passes, the more uranium turns into lead. The rate of this
14:14decay is always the same. This decay can last for billions of years. The less uranium is in zircons and
14:22the more lead, the older the rock is. And this is how it happens in practice. Geologists take several
14:29rock samples. In a lab, they crush it to extract crystalline zircons. Geologists then dissolve the
14:36particles in acid to separate uranium from lead. Then they use a special device, a mass spectrometer
14:44that accelerates atoms and sorts them by mass. This is a rather complicated process, but the bottom line
14:50is that this device shows scientists the amount of uranium and lead. They look at the ratios of these two
14:57elements and calculate the age of the rock. Geologists took zircons from sandstones near the Gambertsev
15:05mountains, studied those particles, looked at the level of uranium and calculated the chronology of
15:11mountain formation. Then they compared the data obtained with the history of our planet and realized
15:16that the mountains buried in Antarctica appeared during the formation of the supercontinent Gondwana.
15:22But how did they find out that the supercontinent included Australia, India and Africa? Zirconia from
15:29those Antarctic rocks turned out to be very similar to zirconium from those countries. That is, a long time
15:36ago, these three continents were together. So, the Gambertsev mountains began to grow about 650 million years ago.
15:45About 580 million years ago, they reached the height of the Himalayas. And 80 million years later,
15:52they experienced the melting of the Earth's crust. And while most of the mountain ranges on the planet
15:58were changing and collapsing, the Gambertsev mountains under ice remained untouched.
16:05Water, soil, wind, earthquakes, gravity and other natural forces destroy mountain belts. This process is
16:13called erosion. But mountains buried in Antarctica haven't experienced anything like this. The cold
16:19temperature and the ice sheet around them kept this range unchanged. It's one of the best preserved
16:24ancient mountain belts on the planet. Okay, but why do we need to explore these mountains? What
16:30difference does it make that the supercontinent Gondwana collapsed in the past? It's possible that
16:36plants, frozen bodies of insects, or ancient bacteria have remained preserved under thick
16:41layers of ice. What about ancient animals? Many species could have lived on Gondwana.
16:48Studying ancient mountains in Antarctica can show us what the planet looked like about a half a billion
16:53years ago. When Antarctica was a green continent, what lived on it? What happened to this life? Is it
17:01possible to revive those ancient creatures after so many years? If scientists were able to calculate
17:07the date of the supercontinent's appearance using tiny particles, then imagine what they could find
17:12after examining this hidden mountain range. It all sounds very interesting, but there's one problem.
17:19To take a small piece of this unknown world, you need to drill through a lot of ice. You need
17:25to
17:26deliver heavy equipment to one of the most inaccessible continents in the world, build stations, obtain an
17:31energy source, and conduct large-scale research. It sounds incredibly expensive, so this hidden territory
17:39will probably remain a mystery for a long time. Let's just hope that some billionaire will want to find
17:46out Antarctica's secrets and arrange a large-scale expedition there. Antarctica wasn't always a frozen
17:54wasteland. A long time ago, it was full of life, and 56 million years ago, something terrifying stalked its
18:02jungles. A giant, flesh-eating bird. It was around six feet tall and weighed as much as a lion. For
18:11millions
18:12of years, nothing could challenge it, so why did it disappear? And could there be even bigger predators
18:18still hidden beneath the ice? Paleontologists found two massive claw bones in Antarctica, sharp, curved,
18:27and powerful, belonging to this bird. They were dug up from the Epresian-aged rocks of Seymour Island,
18:34which means they're around 40 to 50 million years old. Their shape left no doubt. These were the so-called
18:42terror birds. Their scientific name is Forest Rossity, some of the most fearsome predators to ever walk the Earth.
18:50They were flightless and didn't even need wings. Instead, they could sprint at breakneck speeds, like ostriches
18:58from a nightmare. For millions of years, these birds ruled South America. But now, for the first time, their presence
19:07has
19:07been confirmed in Antarctica. No surprise here. Back then, South America and Antarctica were still
19:14connected, allowing animals to easily commute between continents. So these birds probably migrated south to
19:21adapt to life on Antarctica's prehistoric landmass. It didn't just survive here, it thrived. But at some
19:29point, this nightmare of an animal vanished. Why? Most likely because of the temperature changes.
19:37Antarctica was cooling, slowly turning into the frozen wasteland we know today. Its prey may have
19:43declined, leaving the predator without enough food. Eventually, it disappeared, leaving no descendants
19:49behind. Researchers hope that they'll find a complete skeleton eventually. They're also wondering where
19:56there might be even bigger species waiting to be discovered. Perhaps these birds evolved into a
20:02completely new Antarctic lineage. But for now, all we have are two giant creepy claws. People often think that there
20:13are
20:13almost no animals or plants in Antarctica. But that's not true at all. Penguins waddle around.
20:20And forget the cute tiny ones. Antarctica used to have six-foot-tall monsters.
20:25The emperor penguins are the largest penguin species alive today.
20:30They can dive over 1,800 feet deep and hold their breath for over 20 minutes.
20:37There were giant ancient penguins around 38 million years ago. They were the size of humans.
20:43Fossils show they had long, sharp beaks, making them terrifying hunters of fish and squid.
20:49The fish there are also absolutely fascinating. Forget giant squids. Colossal squids are nightmares even
20:58bigger. Some reach over 40 feet long with massive, super sharp beaks and eyes the size of dinner plates.
21:07Finally, orcas, the apex predators of the Antarctic Ocean. They hunted packs, working together like a
21:14wolf pack of the sea to take down seals, fish and even massive whales. There are even tiny plants like
21:22moss and algae, Antarctic hair grass and pearl wars. They somehow survive against all odds.
21:31There are many other myths going on about Antarctica. For example, some people think that when icebergs
21:37break off from glaciers, they immediately start drifting straight into the open ocean until they melt.
21:43But the reality is way more chaotic. First, when an iceberg breaks off from a glacier or ice shell,
21:50it has to deal with underwater obstacles. It can stay stuck on the seafloor for decades without moving.
21:57Then they get caught in powerful whirlpools and spin in place for months. One iceberg, a 23A,
22:05spent nearly 40 years frozen in place before finally breaking free, only to get caught in a
22:11swirling ocean vortex for another eight months. After that, their paths are influenced by ocean currents,
22:19tides, winds and even underwater topography. They don't just float freely. Their movements are full of
22:26literal unexpected twists. And speaking of glaciers, another strange rumor is that some humans can't travel
22:34more than 311 miles inland in Antarctica because of an impassable ice wall, freezing jet fuel,
22:41deadly winds, and no oxygen. But this is completely false. Antarctica has been explored by planes,
22:49vehicles, and even scientists on foot. There's an entire research station sitting at the South Pole.
22:55People live there all year long. The ice wall is real, a massive ice cliff rising above the ocean,
23:03but that isn't some secret barrier. It's an ice shell. These are thick slabs of ice that form when
23:09glaciers slowly flow off the land and spread over the ocean. Almost three-fourths of Antarctica's coastline is
23:17made up of them, but they don't form some giant ring around the world. Antarctica is one of the most
23:23extreme places on Earth, but we've conquered its challenges and we keep learning more about it every
23:29year. That's why every year, millions of dollars are poured into keeping research stations running,
23:36protecting wildlife, and making sure the people who live there have everything they need. But where does
23:43all this money go? Well, Antarctica stations are basically small cities. There's electricity, heating,
23:51water purification, food storage, and medical facilities. The biggest station, McMurdo, is basically
24:00a town with over 1,000 people in summer. It has everything from a fire station to a gym.
24:08The South Pole station is super deep inlet, so it's one of the hardest places to supply. Getting food and
24:15fuel there requires airplanes flying thousands of miles in extreme cold. But the internet loves a good
24:23mystery. When Google Maps revealed what looked like a massive doorway in Antarctica, conspiracy theorists
24:29went wild. People joked about everything from Bigfoot's vacation home to a secret base, or even a
24:37Star Trek spaceship hangar hidden in the ice. But there's a way simpler and less exciting explanation.
24:44It's actually a grounded iceberg, a chunk of ice that got stuck in shallow water and is now slowly
24:50melting. As ice moves across the landscape, it flows around bumps and obstacles, creating odd shapes.
24:58The process of melting, breaking apart, and refreezing can carve ice into unexpected forms.
25:05Antarctica also has incredibly strong downward-blowing winds that sculpt ice into dramatic
25:11formations over time. No secret doorway, unfortunately.
25:17And speaking of doors, for years, Ushuaia, Argentina has been called the gateway to Antarctica.
25:25The last stop before the icy continent. The place where expeditions begin.
25:31But there's another option. Punta Arenas, Chile. Let's compare them.
25:38Ushuaia is closer to Antarctica. It's the top departure point for tourists going on cruises.
25:43But no regular flights to Antarctica. No major scientific bases operating from here. It's basically
25:51controlled by the military, which refuses to allow private flights, only commercially operated ships.
25:58Yes, Punta Arenas is further from Antarctica. But 22 countries and global organizations use it as their main base.
26:06There are regular flights to Antarctica happening there every year. Private airlines can actually operate here,
26:12making it the real air connection to Antarctica. Ushuaia may have the best location physically, but Punta Arenas actually runs
26:21the show.
26:22Argentina made a huge error in picking its Antarctic air base. Instead of setting up a simple, accessible base at
26:29sea level,
26:30they built Marambio Base. Very high, on rough terrain, completely impossible to reach by land.
26:36Everything has to be flown in by helicopter, making operations slow, expensive, and frustrating.
26:43For 50 years, Argentina stubbornly stuck to this bad decision, while Chile set up efficient, well-planned bases that the
26:51world now uses.
26:52If things don't change, Ushuaia will be nothing more than a tourist stop.
26:57But what's terrifying is that Antarctica seems to be returning to its past. It's supposed to be the coldest place
27:03on Earth,
27:04but something shocking happened just recently. For the first time in recorded history, temperatures in Antarctica broke 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
27:13This continent is buried under miles of ice. Usually, temperatures there can drop to minus 112 degrees.
27:21But in the winter of 2020, scientists recorded an insane 69 degrees on Seymour Island, hotter than many places in
27:29Europe at that time.
27:31Scientists believe there are several reasons for that. First, there are changes in the way heat moves around the planet's
27:37waters.
27:38Second, melting permafrost due to the planet warming. It looks like the climate is changing faster than expected.
27:45And into and s hacked.
27:45?
27:45?
27:45?
27:46?
27:46?
27:47Croo-P ?
27:47?
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