CHASMS BENEATH THE ICY DEPTHS

A fluid journey through nature's underwater gorges, exploring the ancient artistry of submarine canyons and Antarctica's astonishing reveal of 332 colossal networks shaping the oceans and climate

- HRITHIK KIRAN BAGADE

Beneath the rolling rhythm of waves and the vast blue canopy of ocean surface lies a hidden world, etched not by sunlight or wind, but by gravity, pressure, and time. Submarine canyons, often deeper than the Grand Canyon itself, wind their way through the seafloor like veins beneath the skin of the Earth. These majestic underwater valleys, carved into the edges of continents, tell stories of ancient glacial flows, epic sediment slides, and the powerful currents that shape not only marine landscapes, but also the climate we live in above.

Unlike river canyons formed by flowing water over land, submarine canyons are sculpted by underwater landslides, turbidity currents, and sediment gravity flows—dense, sediment-rich currents that tumble down the continental slope, carving deep V-shaped scars into the seabed. These canyons act as highways of energy and matter, transporting organic materials, sediments, and nutrients from coastal shelves into the deep ocean. In doing so, they play a key role in sustaining life at extreme depths, feeding unique ecosystems, and circulating carbon and nutrients throughout the Earth's largest carbon sink—the ocean.

Globally, nearly 10,000 submarine canyons have been identified, yet most remain poorly understood. Only around 27% of the seafloor has been mapped at high resolution, meaning vast stretches of these geological wonders are still out of sight. And until recently, some of the largest and most significant networks had eluded even the most detailed marine maps.