heet is so thick that you could stack several Empire State Buildings, one on top of each other, and they still wouldn't punch through the snow...but how many? Each building is 1250 ft. tall. The 
Mountains in an Icy Tomb
How can mou
ntains be hidden? Mountains are pretty noticeable, wouldn't they pop up through the ice? Just like this photo of rock under layers of ice, the Gamburtsev Mountains are completely buried (you can click on the image for a closer look). The mountains lie in East Antarctica where the ice sheet is so thick it encases the entire mountain range and buries it under meters and meters of ice; in fact in some areas the ice is several kilometers thick. Go to 'Try this activity' to learn more.
How big is the East Antarctic Ice Sheet?
An ice sheet would have to be pretty large to hide a mountain range! The tips of the tallest mountains in the Gamburtsev range are so far under the ice they are not close enough to the top to make even a small bump. Walking on top of these mountains is like walking on a large flat sheet of white that extends on and on and on - not even a small hill in sight! Remember one way to talk about the size of the ice sheet is to consider how much sea level would rise if the ice sheet were to melt. Check back to refresh your memory on 'The East Antarctic Ice Sheet' and sea level OR go on to 'Ghost Hunting'!
Student Activity Worksheet
download response sheet word pdf