“Unveiling the Unknown: What Lies Beneath Antarctica’s Frozen Surface?”

Ever come across a video that makes you rethink your whole existence? You know the kind—where some thrill-seeker plunges into the depths of Antarctica, giving us a glimpse into a world most of us will never experience? Well, social media is that magical portal that lets us peep into the extraordinary, from daredevil adventures in off-the-map locations to mind-bending scientific discoveries. One such viral sensation, originally posted by PhD student Austin Carter, has captivated millions, as it showcases a breathtaking journey deep into the icy abyss beneath our planet’s least-explored continent. Buckle up, because this is more than just a riveting clip; it’s a fascinating dive into what makes our planet tick—literally! Curious? You can find all the thrilling details here: LEARN MORE.

It’s always a nice feeling to stumble upon a clip that would show you something that you’d never see or experience in real life.

Whether that be travelling to extreme parts of the world or adrenaline junkies putting their lives at risk for a bit of a thrill, we can thank social media for giving us an insight into things we wouldn’t normally do.

One of these videos went viral a couple of years ago, but given its interesting scientific background, the clip is still fascinating to many.

How much do we actually know about Antarctica? (Getty Stock Photo)

Garnering 21.9 million views and over 2.6 million likes, the TikTok video was originally uploaded by PhD Candidate Austin Carter, who is known for making content around the fact that he lived in Antarctica for a period of time.

His latest stint, according to his page, was 75 days long, which is about 75 days longer that almost everyone else on Earth.

It’s the planet’s least-explored continent, meaning we know the least about it – so naturally, if content comes around revealing new information about the area, it attracts attention.

In this video, Carter shows viewers a hole that he carved out, 305 feet (93 m) into Earth’s southern-most continent.

Anything could be in Antarctica’s ice. There could be unknown fossils, rare materials or maybe even deadly bacteria down there.

But there’s only one thing to do: Drop a camera down said hole.

In the video’s captions, he explains that they drilled the whole at the Allan Hills, a largely ice-free area, where the oldest ice on Earth was discovered.

Now, the researcher is looking to find older ice to gain a better understanding of our planet’s climate system.

We still aren’t totally sure about how long these ice sheets have been around for, but according to geological history, some of the deeper sheets of ice haven’t melted for centuries, and can give us a lot of answers about Earth’s origins.

Carter worked with the Center for Old Ice Exploration (COLDEX) to examine what was really down there, as the vertical icy tunnel looking like you’re travelling through a crazy wormhole.

It seems to pick up speed as gravity takes effect, before stopping at the bottom of ice sheet, with some snow to greet you at the end, which the creator says is covering rock, where they stopped.

It looks like you’re travelling to another dimension (TikTok/austincarter642)

People took to the comments to share their amazement at the footage.

One user wrote: “2.7 million years old huh, aged very well. Can only imagine the price of a glass of 50 yr old scotch and 2.7 million yr old ice.”

Another said: “Why did I have a panic attack as soon as the camera went in? Had to remind myself it’s a video”

A third added: “Honestly this was really scary.”

COLDEX and similar research teams can discover a lot about our planet’s history by studying the ice at these depths – particularly when it comes to climate.