[imagesource:googleearth]

Amid the frigid, hostile landscape of Antarctica, a pyramid-like mountain has been discovered.

The supposed pyramid, visibly peaking out through layers of snow and ice along the Ellsworth Mountain range, has generated a deluge of conspiracy theories and gripped the imagination of many.

But as any seasoned adventurer knows, not everything is as it seems.

While ancient pyramids have primarily been associated with places like Egypt, Sudan, Mexico, Italy, Iraq, and Peru, cloaked in mystery and associated with extravagant otherwordly phenomena, this polar pyramid might not be all that mystifying.

Recent Google Earth images showcasing an aerial view of the intriguing formation have intensified speculations. Sure, to the untrained eye, this structure looks like it could be a creation of an ancient civilisation, long lost to time, or even extraterrestrial craftsmanship.

 

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However, in the eyes of geologists, it is merely a cool-shaped mountain. According to Professor Eric Rignot of the University of California, an expert in Earth system science, the fuss may be much ado about nothing, per The Brighter Side:

“This is just a mountain that looks like a pyramid,” Rignot stated, aiming to allay rumors. He further elaborated, “Pyramid shapes are not impossible — many peaks partially look like pyramids, but they only have one to two faces like that, rarely four.”

Geological consensus notes that the structure’s steep, pyramid-like sides result from hundreds of millions of years of erosion. Dr Mitch Darcy, an eminent geologist at the German Research Centre for Geosciences, provided further clarity:

“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.”

The unnamed mountain stands tall at coordinates 79°58’39.25” S 81°57’32.21” W, located in an area known as the ‘Heritage Range’, which is a vicinity acquainted with historic wonders. Remarkable fossils, some dating back more than 500 million years, have been discovered here.

At 4,150 feet, this ‘pyramid’ might not be imposing compared to other mountains, but its enigmatic nature keeps people captivated.

But for Darcy, the rock formation’s semblance to a pyramid is a mere coincidence.

“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.”

Aw, boo, we’re going to have to find someplace else to stoke our imaginations now.

[source:thebrighterside]