Freezing of ridges and water networks preserves the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains for millions of years

Once an ice sheet grows beyond a critical thickness, the basal thermal regime favors melting and development of subglacial water networks. Subglacial water is necessary for bedrock erosion, but the exact mechanisms that lead to preservation of subglacial topography are unclear. Here we resolve the freezing mechanisms that lead to long‐term, high‐altitude preservation across the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains in East Antarctica. Analyses of a...