Using satellite data and the physics of ice flow, scientists have mapped detailed topographical features beneath the Antarctic ice sheet that were previously impossible to detect.[3] The new approach enabled the detection of mesoscale topographic features that are larger than the local thickness of the ice sheet (approximately 3 km) and smaller than the distance over which stresses can be effectively transmitted through the ice (10 times the thickness of the ice sheet).[3] Mapping the deep interior of Antarctica at this scale identified topographic features and details that could not be resolved by previous methods with large distances between data points (10 to 100 km).[3] The findings complement the Bedmap3 and BedMachine project and may contribute to the development of an automated ice flow model that supports rapid updates with new penetrating radar measurements.[3] The discovered subglacial landscapes are remnants from 80 million years ago and were shaped by large rivers before the continent was engulfed by ice around 34 million years ago.[4] These ancient fluvial surfaces may play a stabilizing role in regulating the rate of ice flow into the ocean.[4] Including these hidden lands in computer models could greatly improve predictions of how Antarctica will respond to warming temperatures.[4]