Antarctica Subglacial Lakes The Race to the Bottom

• Main Authors: Emnet, Philipp, Given, Andrew, Armstrong, Martina, Bouckoms, Sarah
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: Lake Vostok; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10092/14322

Ever since subglacial lakes have been known about they have grabbed the attention and imagination of the scientific and general community alike. These lakes may potentially hold the answers to questions on the climate history Of the earth within their sediments, as well as contain unique life forms within their waters that can help us understand the diversity and adaptability of life and its evolution within extreme environments of low temperature, high pressures, and total darkness. The limited knowledge that exists today on subglacial lakes only comes from indirect methods such as sonar and radar, but there are currently two projects underway that propose to drill into a subglacial lake and sample its waters directly. A Russian-led research group and a second group from the UK plan to lead the way in subglacial lake exploration at Lake Vostok and Lake Ellsworth respectively. However because the area of subglacial lakes is still a relatively new to science there is still much debate happening on the proper steps a scientific research group should follow during their research activities to reduce environmental impacts. This report will provide a background on subglacial lakes, and their significance to science. It will also explore the history and future plans of the two research groups interested in Lake Vostok and Lake Ellsworth, while addressing several questions that many believe still need to be fully answered before direct subglacial lake exploration should take place. Ever since subglacial lakes have been known about they have grabbed the attention and imagination of the scientific and general community alike. These lakes may potentially hold the answers to questions on the climate history Of the earth within their sediments, as well as contain unique life forms within their waters that can help us understand the diversity and adaptability of life and its evolution within extreme environments of low temperature, high pressures, and total darkness. The limited knowledge that exists today on subglacial ...