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Antarctica is enveloped in a web of conspiracy theories, all while being covered in vast expanses of ice... a lot of ice. Given its remoteness and the many mysteries surrounding it, this icy continent has long been a subject of speculation.
Surviving in Antarctica is nearly impossible without specialized equipment, shelter, and assistance from more hospitable regions. This has led to the continent being a hotbed for various conspiracy theories, including those about extraterrestrials, UFOs, hidden government facilities, and even bizarre pyramids.
SEE ALSO: 10 Amazing Wonders Of Antarctica
10. Theories Claim That an Ancient Civilization Constructed Pyramids in Antarctica
In 2016, the discovery of three pyramids in Antarctica sent shockwaves across the internet. Standing at over 1,220 meters (4,000 ft.) tall, these pyramids were reported to be nearly ten times the height of Egypt's famous Great Pyramid of Giza. This sparked a stir, as no historical evidence suggests that any ancient civilization ever existed in Antarctica. Furthermore, such colossal structures would have required vast resources and manpower to construct.
Despite the lack of evidence, conspiracy theorists quickly embraced the idea, suggesting that the pyramids were the work of a long-lost civilization that lived in Antarctica 100,000 years ago. According to this theory, the continent once sat at the equator, providing more hospitable living conditions. However, they claim that governments are concealing the truth and have even removed images of the pyramids from Google Earth.
Scientists have dismissed the pyramid claims, arguing that what is being mistaken for pyramids are actually natural formations like horn or nunatak mountains. A horn mountain is shaped through erosion that creates a pyramid-like appearance, while nunataks are mountain peaks that extend above Antarctica's ice sheets.
According to experts, the alleged pyramids could not have been constructed by an ancient civilization, as Antarctica was located at the South Pole 100 million years ago. The theory of an ancient civilization is further debunked, as the first human species didn't appear until two million years ago.
Consequently, the so-called pyramids might have been built by dinosaurs. But again, this idea raises more questions, as there is no evidence to support the notion that dinosaurs ever constructed pyramids.
9. The Nazis Are Said to Have a Hidden Base in Antarctica
A conspiracy theory posits that the Nazis established a secret base in Antarctica. This theory emerged after it was revealed that the Nazis launched an expedition to the continent in 1938, which allegedly involved several military and scientific vessels.
While there, the Nazis are said to have discovered vast underground caves and rivers, later transforming the largest cave into a hidden city where they supposedly coexisted with the Illuminati. Some theorists even suggest that Hitler sought refuge in this secret base after the war's end.
Proponents of this theory also argue that the Nazis somehow acquired alien technology at the hidden base, using it to develop the advanced weapons they tested in the smaller caves.
In reality, there is no hidden Nazi base in Antarctica. No evidence exists that they used alien technology to build weapons or tested any such weapons on the continent. The Nazis only sent a single ship to the region around 1938 in search of new whale hunting areas, abandoning the expedition when World War II broke out.
8. The Lost City of Atlantis Is Believed to Be Beneath Antarctica
Some conspiracy theorists argue that the legendary Atlantis lies beneath the ice of Antarctica. This theory gained traction in the 1950s after historian Professor Charles Hapgood proposed that Antarctica had once been home to an ancient civilization, before it became frozen. Hapgood's theory was based on the idea that the continent was free of ice 11,600 years ago.
Many theorists supported Hapgood's idea, but with a twist: they claimed that the civilization he referred to was actually Atlantis, now buried beneath layers of ice. In 1995, author Graham Hancock, in his book Fingerprints of the Gods, argued that the people of Atlantis migrated from Antarctica to establish the Aztec, Mayan, and Egyptian civilizations.
7. Rectangular Icebergs in Antarctica Are Alleged to Be Alien Creations
Scientists have documented the presence of strange, almost perfectly rectangular icebergs in Antarctica. These massive icebergs are often visible from space, and their unusual shape gives the impression that they were deliberately crafted rather than naturally formed. Despite this, they are, in fact, naturally occurring.
These icebergs are known as tabular icebergs, and they are formed when a segment of an iceberg breaks away from a larger mass. However, conspiracy theorists reject this natural explanation, suggesting instead that these icebergs are either human-made or the work of extraterrestrials.
Some theorists even propose that these icebergs could be hiding a secret government base. Their argument is based on the belief that perfect geometric shapes are rare in nature, which, to some extent, is true. However, scientists counter that not every edge of these icebergs is perfectly straight.
The debate continues to stir controversy.
6. A UFO Allegedly Crashed in Antarctica
Some conspiracy enthusiasts, known as 'alien hunters,' claim to have found evidence of a UFO that crashed in Antarctica. They arrived at this theory after examining a peculiar trail they discovered on the continent's surface through Google Earth.
The trail appears to begin at what looks like a collapsed mountain peak, which the alien hunters interpret as the point where the UFO struck the peak during its crash landing. However, geologists have a different interpretation. They assert that the trail was caused by an avalanche.
SEE ALSO: 10 Remarkable Creatures of Antarctica
5. A Crater in Antarctica Is Believed to Be an Entrance to the Earth
In January 2019, it was reported that scientists from NASA and the German Aerospace Center had uncovered a crater deep beneath Antarctica's permafrost.
Though this discovery was reported recently, the crater was first spotted in 2006 while analyzing satellite images of Antarctica. Scientists believe it was caused by an asteroid impact millions of years ago, which contributed to the extinction of the dinosaurs.
However, conspiracy theorists have a different interpretation. Some suggest that the crater is part of the secret Nazi base previously discussed. Others claim the crater was found during a US Navy mission, which was allegedly searching for an entrance to the Earth, and that the crater itself serves as the entrance.
4. Google Might Be Hiding Secrets About Antarctica
In March 2018, a conspiracy-driven YouTube channel claimed that Google holds knowledge about Antarctica's secrets and is actively trying to keep it from the public. However, the channel suggests that a rogue Google employee is secretly working to expose these hidden truths.
The YouTube presenter argued that a red cross appears whenever he hovers over certain locations in Antarctica, but only when the weather feature on Google Earth is activated. According to the theory, this anomaly is intentional, caused by a Google employee who wants the hidden information to be discovered.
The presenter speculated that the red cross could point to a UFO base, a hidden treasure, or even a glitch in Google Earth itself.
3. The Nazis Are Alleged to Have Hidden UFOs in Antarctica
One conspiracy theory suggests that the Nazis concealed UFOs somewhere in Antarctica. These supposed UFOs are even connected to the alleged pyramids previously discussed.
Proponents of this theory argue that the Nazis operated a covert UFO base in Antarctica during World War II. They claim that US and British forces tried, but failed, to destroy the base during the war. Only after dropping an atomic bomb on the site in 1958 did they supposedly succeed. Some theorists even suggest that the Nazis destroyed a US aircraft during this operation.
This theory has been debunked, as there is no evidence that the Nazis established a base or had any military operations in Antarctica. As previously noted, their only mission to the continent involved one ship sent to scout new whaling territories, and they lacked the resources to construct an underground base.
The alleged operation to remove the Nazis from their supposed UFO base was actually a military drill designed to simulate an invasion of the Soviet Union’s icy terrain. This operation involved 13 ships, 33 airplanes, and 4,700 soldiers. No airplanes were shot down during the exercise, as no Nazis were involved.
The atomic bomb that conspiracy theorists claim was used to destroy the UFO base was actually detonated 2,400 kilometers (1,500 miles) off the coast of Antarctica. Despite this, some still insist that the Nazis hid UFOs in Antarctica and even used alien technology to create weapons, which were then concealed in Antarctica, South America, and the Arctic.
2. Antarctica Might Not Even Exist
An unusual conspiracy theory claims that Antarctica and the South Pole don’t exist at all. This theory is most popular among flat-earthers, who believe that the Earth is flat. Flat-earthers argue that the North Pole is the center of the world, and the South Pole is merely a surrounding perimeter of the Earth.
Flat-earthers claim that Antarctica is actually a massive wall, 30 to 60 meters (100 to 200 feet) tall, encircling the Earth. This wall supposedly prevents anything from falling off the edge of the planet. According to them, the existence of this wall is hidden by world governments and the United Nations, who maintain strict no-fly and no-sail zones around Antarctica.
Conspiracy theorists believe that Captain Cook, the British explorer, is one of the few people, aside from government agents, who may have glimpsed this wall. It is said that during his three expeditions to Antarctica, Cook reported seeing a massive wall stretching along the coastline, too high to climb, preventing him from landing anywhere.
1. Two Craters in Antarctica Lead to a Hidden UFO Base
Along the coast of Antarctica, there are two craters that extend deep into the permafrost, suggesting something or someone may have dug down. Conspiracy theorists argue that these craters serve as entrances to a secret government facility, an alien base, or even the rumored Nazi base previously discussed.
Scott Waring, a UFO conspiracy theorist, suggested that the craters in Antarctica were created by a UFO buried beneath the permafrost. He claimed to have seen the UFO in an original Google Earth image, but later explained that it was no longer visible because Google had edited the image.
+ A UFO Hovered Over a Research Station in Antarctica
In 2012, rumors surfaced that a UFO was flying above the Neumayer-Station III in Antarctica. A video filmed on August 10, 2012, appeared to show an object hovering above the research station. Some conspiracy theorists suggested that it might have been a part of a new weapon being developed by the government.
However, the object was later identified as a weather balloon. This became clear when the shape of the object in the video resembled that of a balloon. Additionally, researchers at the station are known to launch weather balloons directly above the research area. Lastly, it raises the question: why would an alien leave their saucer hovering directly above a research station?
