A breathtaking video capturing a remarkable journey through a massive ice cave in Antarctica, and revealing the hidden beauty beneath the frigid surface, has mesmerized viewers on TikTok.
The video, posted by Matty Jordan (@mattykjordan on TikTok), has drawn attention for its striking imagery of the natural formations within the ice, lit by an ethereal blue glow filtering through the cave's icy walls. The clip has received over 54,000 views on TikTok since it was shared on Tuesday.
Jordan, 35, works as a project manager for Antarctica New Zealand, a government agency responsible for New Zealand's research and conservation efforts in Antarctica. He lives in Christchurch in New Zealand but is originally from Perth in Western Australia.
"My work as a project manager for Antarctica New Zealand brings me to Scott Base each year to support world-leading Antarctic science," Jordan told Newsweek. Each deployment takes him to Scott Base, New Zealand's only research station on the continent, where he assists with various projects.
The video, taken on a recent day off, shows Jordan walking through "one of the many glacial caves inside the Erebus Glacier Tongue," a unique and stunning ice formation that extends out from the coastline of Ross Island into McMurdo Sound.
With the soft crunching of snow underfoot, Jordan walks steadily through the imposing ice structure, heading "towards the exit and entry to the cave," where, he says, "just outside the cave is sea ice -- frozen ocean -- and a view towards continental Antarctica."
A note displayed in the video reads: "Walking towards the light inside an ice cave in Antarctica," with a hint of the play of natural light reflecting off the walls and casting a pale, otherworldly blue on the cave's intricate surfaces.
The ceiling towers approximately 33 feet high, and Jordan estimates that he explored only about 150 feet into the cave. "The depth extended far beyond the distance that I walked," he said.
Entering such a cave, Jordan explained, is a recreational activity that is offered to the staffers at Scott Base on their days off.
"Antarctica has several ice caves," he said, "but around Ross Island where Scott Base is, the ice caves within the Erebus Glacier Tongue are the primary ones that we enter."
The sheer scale and natural beauty of the caves offer a rare opportunity for those who work in the harsh and isolated conditions of Antarctica.
The Erebus Glacier is an ice tongue that's around 11 to 12 kilometers (around 36,000 to 39,000 feet) long and flows down from Mount Erebus, Antarctica's second-highest volcano. The glacier extends into McMurdo Sound, forming what is known as the Erebus Ice Tongue, a long and narrow sheet of ice projecting out from the coastline.
Such formations develop when a glacier rapidly moves toward the sea, creating ice structures that float on water during the summer months and sometimes calve into small icebergs, according to NASA.
"The Erebus Ice Tongue is only about 10 meters [33 feet] high," NASA says on its Earth Observatory website, "so its icebergs are small. When the ice around the tongue melts in the summer, the waves of seawater constantly batter the edges, carving very elaborate structures in the ice."
'Incredible'
For Jordan, walking through such an ice cave is one of the many highlights of his work in Antarctica, which has involved nine deployments and over 400 days, including a winter in 2023. Still, life on the frozen continent is not without its challenges.
"The most challenging thing about life in Antarctica is being away from family and friends for extended periods each year," he told Newsweek. Despite the isolation, he takes immense pride in his work and finds fulfillment in the shared mission of understanding Antarctica's role in global climate health.
"The best thing about living and working in Antarctica is the amazing people that I get to meet," he said. "Many people who come to Antarctica are highly specialized in their fields of work and are often the best in the world at what they do."
Jordan said the community at Scott Base is filled with scientists and experts from various fields. The conversations there provide a deep insight into critical research that affects our understanding of the Earth's climate system.
"Antarctica is so important to the Earth's climate, and the research that happens in Antarctica is critical to improving our understanding of what is happening," Jordan said.
He appreciates the rare chance to sit down with scientists and hear firsthand about their research findings and the implications. "Of course," he said, "I also love the opportunities to see and photograph the wildlife and incredible landscapes."
Viewers on TikTok were blown away by the footage of the ice cave in the viral clip.
User muzammil Hussain said, "Unbelievable," while joellorrain8 wrote, "Amazing."
Tgeymann2 said, "That is super cool, thanks."
Lisa Brandon146 wrote, "Incredible, really. Thank you for sharing."
And Cami said, "Antarctica is on my bucket list!!"