Antarctica has a strange gravitational hole and scientists finally know why

Gravity often seems reliable and unchangeable. It seems consistent enough that we rarely question it. But the real picture is more surprising.

In fact, gravity does not have exactly the same strength everywhere on Earth. Its drag varies slightly across the planet’s surface. After accounting for the effects of Earth’s rotation, the weakest gravity was found under Antarctica.

Deep Earth movements created the gravitational hole in Antarctica

A new study shows that extremely slow metamorphisms of rocks deep within the planet helped produce a gravity anomaly under Antarctica. These movements occurred over tens of millions of years and gradually formed what scientists call the Antarctic Gravity Hole. The research also suggests that changes in this reduced gravity occurred during the same period as major shifts in Antarctica’s climate. Future studies may reveal whether these changes in gravity helped encourage the development of the continent’s vast ice sheets.

“If we can better understand how Earth’s interior shapes gravity and sea levels, we gain insight into factors that may be important for the growth and stability of large ice sheets,” said Alessandro Forti, Ph.D., a professor of geophysics at the University of Florida and co-author of the new study that recreates the Antarctic gravity hole.

Differences in gravity come from differences in the density of rocks beneath the Earth’s surface. While changes in the force of gravity are small, they can affect the oceans in noticeable ways. In areas where gravity is weaker, seawater tends to flow toward areas where drag is stronger. As a result, the ocean surface in areas of weaker gravity is slightly lower relative to the center of the Earth. Because of the gravitational hole beneath Antarctica, the sea surface height around the continent is significantly lower than it would otherwise be.

Use earthquakes to map the planet’s interior

The research, recently published in the journal Scientific Reports, was conducted by Forte and Petar Glisovic, Ph.D., of the Paris Institute of Geophysics. Scientists mapped the Antarctic gravitational hole and reconstructed how it evolved over millions of years. Their work was based on a global scientific effort that combined earthquake recordings from around the world with physics-based computer models. Together, these tools helped reveal the three-dimensional structure hidden within the Earth.

“Imagine doing a CT scan of the entire Earth, but we don’t have X-rays like we do in a medical office,” Forte said. “We have earthquakes. The seismic waves provide the ‘light’ that illuminates the interior of the planet.”

By analyzing how earthquake waves travel across the planet and combining that data with physics-based modeling, the researchers created a detailed gravity map of Earth. The results closely matched extremely precise satellite measurements of Earth’s gravitational field. This agreement helped confirm that their models realistically depicted the internal structure of the planet.

Rewinding Earth’s geological history

The next step involved looking back in time to understand how the gravitational hole evolved. Using advanced computer simulations, scientists were able to mirror the slow movement of rocks inside the planet. Their models traced these changes back approximately 70 million years, to the age of the dinosaurs.

This reconstructed footage showed that the gravitational hole at the South Pole was weaker to begin with. But about 50 to 30 million years ago, the anomaly began to get stronger. This period coincides with major changes in the climate system in Antarctica, including the beginning of a large-scale ice age.

Looking to the future, Forte hopes to explore whether enhanced gravity anomalies played a role in the formation of Antarctica’s ice sheets. Future models will study how gravity, sea level, and changes in continental elevation interact.

Ultimately, the researchers want to answer a larger question about Earth’s systems. As Forte explained, the goal is to understand “how is our climate related to what is happening inside our planet?”

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