High above Antarctica’s frozen surface, scientists in 2016 and 2018 detected something mind-blowing: two radio pulses that passed almost 6,000 miles through the planet. They don’t fit into any rulebook of physics.
Researchers are scratching their heads at how something buried under miles of ice could send out a rhythm strong enough to reach other continents. It’s like Earth has its own heartbeat, and we want to know why.
How Scientists First Heard the Pulse
This all started when ANITA, a radio antenna detector on a high-altitude balloon, picked up two unusual radio pulses in 2016 and 2018 that weren’t linked to any known particles.
The readings were detected during two separate ANITA balloon flights. Experts double-checked everything, convinced it was an error, but both detections showed similar characteristics that couldn’t be easily explained.
A Hidden Source Under the Ice
The likely origin lies within the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains, a hidden range buried under two miles of ice. The pressure and chill there are extreme, places where physics itself seems to bend. But nobody really knows what’s driving it yet.
A Pulse That Travels 6,000 Miles
Here’s the mind-blower: the signals appeared to pass through 6,000 kilometers of Earth’s interior rock. Usually, particles at these energies can’t survive passing through that much rock.
That’s basic physics. But this pulse doesn’t obey. It’s as if the Earth is carrying its own perfect signal through its mantle, one that refuses to weaken.
Checking the Numbers, Again and Again
At first, scientists wondered about the data. The Pierre Auger Observatory searched for 15 years across multiple detection stations but found no corroborating evidence.
“It’s an interesting problem because we still don’t actually have an explanation for what those anomalies are,” said Stephanie Wissel, associate professor of physics at Penn State who worked on the ANITA team.
Two Events, Years Apart
The two events occurred years apart—one in 2016 and another in 2018. No earthquake, storm, or human-made machine fits the characteristics of these signals.
The unusual nature of these detections suggests something researchers don’t yet understand occurring beneath the Antarctic ice.
Ice Quakes or Something Bigger?
Some researchers wonder if radio propagation effects near ice could explain the signals, while others point to beyond-standard-model particles.
Could It Be Radio Tricks in the Ice?
Another theory suggests the signals might not have traveled through Earth at all. Perhaps unusual radio propagation effects near Antarctica’s ice could create illusions – making signals appear to come from below when they’re actually coming from above.
Radio waves can bounce, refract, and reflect in unexpected ways near ice sheets. But this “radio mirage” theory has problems too: the angles are too steep, and the energy levels don’t quite match what you’d expect from reflected signals.
The Pierre Auger Observatory Finds Nothing
If these signals were real particles regularly passing through Earth, other detectors should see them too. The Pierre Auger Observatory in Argentina – with over 1,600 detectors spread across 3,000 square kilometers – searched for 15 years.
They found nothing. Not a single corroborating event.
This deepens the mystery. Either ANITA detected something incredibly rare, or there’s an instrumentation issue no one has identified yet. Both possibilities challenge our understanding.
Liquid Lakes With Hidden Energy
Under the ice lie over 400 ancient lakes, some sealed off for millions of years. They’re chemical playgrounds, full of rare microbes and minerals.
While over 400 subglacial lakes exist beneath Antarctic ice, containing unique microbial ecosystems and chemical environments, researchers have found no evidence linking these lakes to the radio signals detected by ANITA.
Could Quantum Physics Be Involved?
One out-there theory says beyond-standard-model particles—like sterile neutrinos or dark matter decay products—might explain the signals.
If true, this could be the first time we’ve seen quantum weirdness at a planetary scale.
Breaking the Rules of Energy Loss
Usually, energy fades as it spreads. But this strange pulse keeps its strength, crossing oceans and continents.
It’s like throwing a stone in a pond and watching the ripples crash on a distant shore without losing power. That alone challenges classical physics.
Dark Matter or New Physics?
Some physicists wonder if the signals point to exotic particles we’ve never detected before.
Could they be sterile neutrinos – theoretical particles that barely interact with matter? Or perhaps the decay products of superheavy dark matter particles? Some models suggest dark matter accumulated inside Earth could occasionally decay, sending out exotic particles that escape through the planet.
It sounds like science fiction, but at this point, beyond-standard-model physics might be the best explanation.
Could It Affect Climate?
While subglacial geothermal heat does influence ice sheet stability, there is currently no evidence linking these anomalous radio signals to thermal processes or climate impacts.
What the Discovery Means for Physics
The ANITA signals have significant implications for our understanding of particle physics. If confirmed as real events, they could point to physics beyond the Standard Model—the theoretical framework that describes how elementary particles and forces interact.
Several teams have proposed explanations involving exotic particles, including sterile neutrinos, dark matter decay products, or even axion-like particles. However, the lack of corroborating evidence from other detectors makes these interpretations uncertain.
“Right now, it’s one of these long-standing mysteries,” said Stephanie Wissel. “In principle, we should pick up more anomalies, and maybe we’ll actually understand what they are”.
Messing With Earth’s Balance
The discovery has deepened the mystery surrounding these unusual signals. While Earth does have various geological cycles operating over millions of years, researchers have found no connection between those processes and the anomalous radio events detected by ANITA.
Setting Up a Global Watch
Now there’s a new project called PUEO (Payload for Ultrahigh Energy Observations), ANITA’s successor, using enhanced radio detection capabilities to investigate these mysterious signals.
PUEO: The Next Generation Detector
Scientists aren’t giving up. NASA has approved PUEO (Payload for Ultrahigh Energy Observations), ANITA’s more sophisticated successor.
PUEO will fly above Antarctica with enhanced sensitivity and better angular resolution. If the ANITA signals were real, PUEO should detect more of them. If they were instrumental glitches, PUEO’s improved design should reveal that too.
The detector is scheduled to launch soon, and researchers are hopeful it will finally solve the mystery that’s puzzled them for nearly a decade.
What It Means for Us
The two anomalous pulses aren’t just a mysterious science story. They’re a reminder that we still don’t understand much about particle physics.
‘More research needs to be done on this,’ said study co-author Benjamin Flaggs, a physicist at the University of Delaware. ‘There are theorists proposing some beyond-standard-model interactions from different types of particles.
The Mystery Beneath the Ice
The journey to uncover what’s happening under Antarctica is far from over. Beneath that endless ice may lie forces that connect Earth, the Sun, and maybe even the cosmos in ways we’ve never imagined.
If the phenomenon proves real and repeatable, it could change how we understand the heartbeat of our planet itself.