Why the massive, frozen expanse of East Antarctica is more than just ice

Countries & Cities · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: East Antarctica is the largest, coldest, and most stable portion of the frozen continent. While its neighbor, West Antarctica, experiences rapid, irreversible glacier decline, the East remains a mysterious, high-elevation giant. Understanding the bedrock beneath its miles-thick ice is key to predicting the future of our global sea levels.

East Antarctica, often called Greater Antarctica, accounts for two-thirds of the continent. It is defined by its immense elevation and its position primarily within the Eastern Hemisphere. The region is separated from West Antarctica by the Transantarctic Mountains, a massive chain that acts as a physical and geographical divide. While the Antarctic Ice Sheet is a continuous mass, these mountains create a functional boundary, directing ice flow toward the eastern hemisphere, away from the South Pole.

The ice sheet here is exceptionally thick, reaching up to three miles or five kilometers in certain areas. This depth is supported by bedrock that sits at a higher elevation than the sunken, sea-level-depressed bedrock found in the West. This structural difference is a primary reason for the region's relative stability. Beneath the ice, the subglacial Gamburtsev Mountain Range—comparable in size to the European Alps—is believed to have served as the nucleation site for the entire East Antarctic Ice Sheet.

Despite its reputation for stability, the region is not static. Recent scientific findings published in Nature suggest that East Antarctica is losing ice at a faster rate than previously estimated. While the interior remains one of the coldest and driest places on Earth, the coastal fringes support limited biodiversity, including various species of seals, penguins, and seabirds. These areas, along with rare ice-free zones known as Antarctic oases, are protected under the Antarctic Treaty System, which prohibits industrial development and nuclear testing to preserve this remote environment.

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