Scientists have detected strange radio waves emanating from beneath the icy surface of Antarctica. The discovery was made by a team of researchers using the Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA) during an experiment to analyze cosmic signals. The team found that the radio waves were transmitting at steep angles, contradicting expectations that they would be undetectable.
Lead researcher Stephanie Wissel explained that the team detected the radio waves while searching for neutrinos, particles emitted by high-energy sources and notoriously difficult to detect. However, upon further investigation, the researchers realized that the signals did not match any known neutrino patterns.
Wissel noted that detecting these radio waves could provide valuable insights into cosmic events beyond what even the most powerful telescopes can observe. The team used balloons to send instruments 40 kilometers above the ice to capture emissions signals. However, cross-referencing their findings with other experiments revealed that the results did not match, indicating that the detected signals were not neutrinos.
While theories suggest that the mysterious radio waves could be related to dark matter, Wissel cautioned that this remains a mystery and that further research is needed to understand the phenomenon. The discovery highlights the potential for new discoveries in Antarctica’s unique environment, where little interference from other radio waves allows for unobstructed signals.
Source: https://nypost.com/2025/06/15/science/scientists-detect-mysterious-radio-waves-coming-from-beneath-antarcticas-ice