Fact check: No truth to claims about secret cities under Antarctica
The claim: There are secret cities underneath Antarctica
Some social media users are claiming there are secret cities underneath Antarctica, and a handful contend that Russia is involved.
A Sept. 8 Facebook post, which garnered more than 200 shares, claims that “Russia just broke the silence on Antarctica” and “living beings” and a “thriving city” are under the surface.
Many comments show users believing the claim.
It isn’t true, though.
Antarctic researchers said radar mapping technology shows no city exists under the surface of Antarctica. Russia has also not made any public announcements about cities underneath the continent, contrary to the claims of the post.
USA TODAY reached out to several users who shared the post for comment. The posts offered no proof our sourcing to support the claim.
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No evidence cities exist under Antarctica
Scientists have been using radio echo sounding techniques to map the terrain underneath Antarctica for the last 60 years, Peter Fretwell, a researcher at the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, told USA TODAY in an email.
“There is no evidence whatsoever of anything man-made or looking like a city in any of this vast collection of data,” he said.
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Beyond just the data collection, a city would not be able to survive under the crushing pressures of the ice, Bethan Davies, a glacial geologist and Newscastle University professor, told USA TODAY in an email.
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In addition, there has been extensive research on the ice sheet and what it has looked like over the past 20,000 years.
"There was no ice-free area large enough to build a hidden city. No people were building cities anywhere worldwide within this timeframe. Today, there are only small research bases in Antarctica and certainly no cities," Davies said.
In addition to claiming that there are cities underneath Antarctica, some have claimed that Russia "broke the silence."
They haven't.
USA TODAY found no evidence of any reputable statements from Russia or any other sources about cities beneath the frozen continent.
Our rating: False
Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that there are secret cities underneath Antarctica. Radar mapping technology shows no cities exist underneath the continent. Experts say such a civilization is impossible because cities would be crushed by the pressure of the ice.
Our fact-check sources:
Peter Fretwell, Sept. 15, Email interview with USA TODAY
Bethan Davies, Sept. 15, Email interview with USA TODAY
Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, accessed Sept. 13-15, Welcome to The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research
International Science Council, accessed Sept. 15, Homepage - International Science Council
International Science Council members, accessed Sept. 15, Membership Online Directory - International Science Council
Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty, accessed Sept. 15, The Antarctic Treaty
Secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty, accessed Sept. 15, Environmental Protection
Bedmap3 SCAR Page, accessed Sept. 15, Bedmap3
Science Direct, accessed Sept. 15, A community-based geological reconstruction of Antarctic Ice Sheet deglaciation since the Last Glacial Maximum
Daily Maverick, accessed Sept. 13-15. Despite mining ban, a defiant Russia scours Antarctica for massive fossil fuel deposits
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: There are no cities under Antarctica, Russian or otherwise