Antarctic gravity hole Archives - Astrobiology

Time-dependent geoid predictions. Geoid anomalies are shown at: (A) 65 Ma, (B) 40 Ma, and (C) 0 Ma, predicted from the time-dependent reconstruction of 3D mantle structure at 70 Ma. (D) The geoid anomalies based on present-day GyPSuM tomography model. In all cases, the V1 viscosity model is employed, and the geoid predictions are represented by a spherical harmonic expansion truncated at degree 32. The yellow star marks the present-day geographical location of Earth’s lowest point for nonhydrostatic geoid based on the Chambat et al. ellipticity correction. The magenta star marks the location of the maximum geoid depression after removal of the gravitational signal generated by isostatically compensated crustal heterogeneity. This crust-corrected, nonhydrostatic geoid was employed as a constraint in the derivation of the GyPSuM tomography model. The black and grey lines display the reconstruction position of the plate boundaries and coastlines. Regional variance reduction values over Antarctica (lat ≤ –60°) are: 94% (observation, Fig. 1B, vs. initial GyPSuM model, Fig. 2D), 88% (observation, Fig. 1B, vs. prediction, Fig. 2C), and 96% (initial GyPSuM model, Fig. 2D, vs. prediction, Fig. 2C). -- Scientific Reports

Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrogeology, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release

Antarctica Sits Above Earth’s Strongest Gravity Hole

by Keith CowingMarch 3, 2026March 3, 2026

Gravity feels reliable — stable and consistent enough to count on. But reality is far stranger than our intuition.