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Science Frontiers ONLINE No. 38: Mar-Apr 1985 |
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Antarctica revisited, hapgood acknowledged
John G. Weihaupt's paper on possible recent changes in the Antarctic ice cover (summarized in SF#36) evidently stirred up considerable scientific interest. Two long letters and Weihaupt's reply have recently been published in Eos.
First and significantly, Weihaupt's omission of any reference to Hapgood's popular work, Maps of the Ancient Sea Kings, was pointed out and belatedly acknowledged by Weihaupt.
The second letter was from a French scientist, who concluded that:
"...in spite of some hard facts and in spite of warnings against simplistic theories, the idea of fast changes in the Ross Ice Shelf and its main nourishment area, Marie Byrd Land, is widespread in the United States."
Weihaupt responded to this with a massive bibliography supporting the idea of recent, rather extensive changes in the Antarctic ice cover. He stated further that other research suggests that even the East Antarctic Ice Sheet may have undergone deglaciation during the Pleistocene. Those old maps showing Antarctica largely ice-free may not be so crazy after all.
(Milton, Daniel J.; "Antarctic Ice Cover," Eos, 65:1226, 1984.)
Comment. The real mystery is the identity of the ancient map-drawers.