Antarctica's natural pyramid: Nature's masterpiece, not aliens
Antarctica hides many mysteries. One of them is a mountain shaped like an ancient Egyptian pyramid. Although its appearance sparks the imagination, researchers unanimously state that its symmetrical walls are the work of nature, not human or extraterrestrial hands.
The mountain, which has not been formally named, is 4,150 feet high and located in the southern part of the Ellsworth Mountains, near Patriot Hills, where a research station studying the climate operates. As Live Science reminds us, the Ellsworth Mountains were first spotted in 1935 by American aviator and polar explorer Lincoln Ellsworth during a flight.
Mysteries hidden by Antarctica
This region of Antarctica is a true time capsule. Fossils of trilobites (extinct Paleozoic invertebrates belonging to arthropods) and other organisms from the Cambrian period, about 500 million years ago, have been found there. The mountain itself results from hundreds of millions of years of erosion, and its pyramidal shape is due to processes such as frost erosion.
According to scientists, frost erosion was key in shaping the pyramid-like mountain. As Live Science explains, water and snow fill small cracks in the rock during the day and freeze at night, expanding and causing the rock to crack. Repeated cycles of this process lead to the separation of larger rock fragments, ultimately giving the mountain its characteristic, symmetrical appearance.
The four steep walls of this mountain formed at different rates. Three of them eroded evenly, while the eastern edge was shaped independently. Similar processes can be observed in other pyramidal mountains, such as the famous Matterhorn located in the Swiss Alps on the border of Italy and Switzerland.
from science to conspiracy theories
In 2016, the mountain gained popularity online, becoming the subject of numerous conspiracy theories. Proponents of alternative explanations suggested that its shape is evidence of the activity of an ancient civilization or even the intervention of aliens. However, scientists quickly dispelled these speculations.
"This is just a mountain that looks like a pyramid," said Eric Rignot, professor of Earth system science at the University of California, Irvine, and a NASA researcher, quoted by Live Science. He noted that pyramid-like shapes are possible in nature, although it's rare to find mountains with four symmetrical walls. An example of this is the "pyramid" in Antarctica, whose genesis is a fascinating testament to the action of natural geological processes.
