Gamburtsev Mountain Range

The Gamburtsev Mountain Range is a subglacial mountain system located beneath the central East Antarctic Ice Sheet. It is notable for being entirely hidden under kilometres of ice and for resembling a mountain range comparable in scale to the European Alps.

There is no surface exposure for general visitors; the range is accessed only by scientific expeditions that use ice-penetrating radar, seismic surveys and aircraft to map bedrock topography. Scientific camps and airborne surveys have mapped peaks and valleys beneath the ice.

The range was first detected by seismic methods during Soviet Antarctic work in the mid 20th century and later became the focus of coordinated international research to determine how such a mountain range formed and how it affects the overlying ice sheet. Major airborne and ground campaigns in the 21st century produced detailed sub-ice maps.

The Gamburtsev Mountains lie in interior East Antarctica beneath the ice near roughly 80.5 degrees south latitude, far inland from any Antarctic coastline. The feature is remote from permanent research stations and is reached only by specialized polar logistics.

• No surface exposure: Completely buried beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet and therefore visited only by scientific teams using aircraft and ice-cap logistics.
• Studied by international projects: Studied with ice-penetrating radar, seismic surveys and borehole data during international research campaigns to understand its origin and influence on ice dynamics.