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[00:00.70] For more than five decades scientists have been trying to draw an accurate map of what lies under the Antarctic ice sheet, which is more than 2.5 miles thick in places.

[00:09.73] Only a couple of regions remain unexplored, what the experts refer to as the 'Poles of Ignorance'.

[00:15.57] One of these is a vast expanse in the east of the continent known as Princess Elizabeth Land.

[00:21.42] It's now the target of intense study and satellites have detected subtle shapes in the ice surface that suggest there could be a network of canyons hiding down below.

[00:31.51] If correct, the system would be more than 600 miles long and over 0.5 mile deep. There may be a buried lake as well.

[00:39.48] Stewart Jamieson from Durham University led the research: "Knowing what lies beneath the ice sheet is important because we know that the shape of the landscape determines how the ice flows and responds over time.

[00:52.23] And so we'll be better able to predict how the ice sheet will respond to climate change in the future."

[00:59.67] Airplanes are currently flying over Princess Elizabeth Land with sensors that can accurately survey the shape of the rock bed.

[01:06.31] They should confirm the presence of the canyon system.