A mysterious pyramid found under layers of ice in Antarctica has sparked a number of conspiracy theories. If a pyramid seems like an unlikely find in a place like Antarctica, that’s because it is. Most ancient pyramids have been found in Egypt, while others have been discovered in Sudan. Mexico, Italy, Iraq, and Peru. The so-called pyramid, discovered at Antarctica’s Ellsworth Mountain range, has seemingly stumped people from all over the world. As social media users scratched their heads in disbelief, geologists were quick to debunk the existence of Antarctica’s polar pyramid.
For more than a century, people have been abuzz about the alleged Arctic pyramid. The Antarctic ‘pyramid’ has become somewhat of an internet sensation, especially since new Google Earth images have emerged showing the structure from an aerial view. It’s certainly just a sharp mountain poking out from under the ice, but some people just aren’t convinced. While many have pondered whether the mass was constructed by an ancient civilization or if extraterrestrials had something to do with the unique looking pyramid,” there seems to be a more logical explanation for the strange structure’s origin.
The pyramid-like structure features odd looking peaks that appear to emerge from the ground. While some have assumed that the mass is an ancient pyramid, experts have offered other theories. According to Eric Rignot, professor of Earth system science at the University of California, “This is just a mountain that looks like a pyramid.” As he shut down chatter of a potential pyramid on the cold continent, he explained the likelihood of something like that popping up. “Pyramid shapes are not impossible — many peaks partially look like pyramids, but they only have one to two faces like that, rarely four,” he said. Experts believe that the steep, pyramid-esque sides of the structure were likely the result of “hundreds of millions of years of erosion.”
Dr. Mitch Darcy, a geologist at the German Research Centre for Geosciences, further offered a scientific explanation for the mountain’s appearance. “The pyramid-shaped structures are located in the Ellsworth Mountains, which is a range more than 400 km long, so it’s no surprise there are rocky peaks cropping out above the ice,” he said. “The peaks are clearly composed of rock, and it’s a coincidence that this particular peak has that shape.”
As some continue to be mystified by the elusive ‘pyramid,’ Dr. Darcy explained that it’s really not as special as they may think. “It’s not a complicated shape, so it’s not a special coincidence either,” he said. He explained the matter-of-fact way the structure likely came about, saying, “By definition, it is a nunatak, which is simply a peak of rock sticking out above a glacier or an ice sheet. This one has the shape of a pyramid, but that doesn’t make it a human construction.”
The mountain, which still remains nameless, is located at 79°58’39.25”S 81°57’32.21”W and sits in an area called “Heritage Range.” The vicinity is no stranger to historic anomalies. Several extraordinary fossils that date back more than 500 million years ago have been found in the vicinity. At just 4,150 feet tall, the structure isn’t even big compared to other towering mountains. Nonetheless, people remain riveted over Antarctica’s intriguing ‘pyramid.’ Mauri Pelto, a professor of environmental science at Nichols College, seemed to shrug off conspiracy theorists’s suggestions that the structure is anything but a mountain, saying, “At least they’re thinking about something,” before adding, “In the end, maybe they’ll learn something in the process.”
