Countless theorists are currently found to be contemplating about the sudden rise to fame of an Antarctic mountain and where it has originated with a unique, pyramid-like shape. Some are wondering as to whether an ancient civilization have been the reason for the creation of this rocky, pyramidal structure, while others are pointing toward outer space, speculating about the involvement of aliens.
Antarctic Pyramids: Is It Where Civilization Has Started?
However we call it, majority of experts believe that the steep pyramid-like sides are likely the work of hundreds of millions of years of erosion. In one of his statements reported by Live Science, professor of Earth system science at the University of California, Irvine, Eric Rignot, has claimed that this is just a mountain that looks like a pyramid, which is not impossible to happen. Rignot adds that a lot of peaks would partially look like pyramids, but he explained that they only have one to two faces like that or rarely even four.
The Summer Vibe In Antarctica
According to CBS News, it was found that the research paper that has been published by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) claims that the pyramidal mountain, which doesn't have a formal name, is just one of the many peaks that comprises the entire Antarctica's Ellsworth Mountains, which, in turn, were discovered by the American aviator Lincoln Ellsworth during his flight on Nov. 23, 1935.
Mauri Pelto, a professor of environmental science at Nichols College in Dudley, Massachusetts claimed that the mountain may not have Denali's height, but its unique pyramidal shape sets it apart. Furthermore, he believes that the Freeze-thaw erosion likely led to its pyramid-like shape. Pelto explains that this phenomenon can only happen when snow or water fills up the cracks within a mountain during the day. When night falls and temperatures drop, the snow freezes and expands, turning into ice. Consequently, the expanding ice in return, causes the cracks to grow further.
It has been known that freeze-thaw erosion happens countless times, leading to the creation of larger cracks that can, eventually, cause entire rock sections to break off. Additionally, Pelto believes that these are the same forces which have also shaped other pyramidal mountains, such as the Matterhorn in the Alps.
