Subglacial Lake Ellsworth: A candidate for in situ exploration in West Antarctica

Radio-echo sounding reveals a 10 km-long lake beneath ∼3.4 km of ice near the Ellsworth Mountains in West Antarctica, 20 km from the ice divide. Subglacial Lake Ellsworth is located within a distinct topographic hollow, which is ∼1.5 km deeper than the surrounding bed. Judging by bed slopes flanking...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geophysical Research Letters
Main Authors: Siegert, Martin, Hindmarsh, Richard, Corr, Hugh, Smith, Andrew, Woodward, John, King, Edward, Payne, Antony J., Joughin, Ian
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:unknown
Published: American Geophysical Union 2004
Subjects:
F800 Physical and Terrestrial Geographical and Environmental Sciences
Antarctic
Ellsworth Mountains
West Antarctic Ice Sheet
West Antarctica
Antarc*
Antarctica
Ice Sheet
Online Access:https://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/19735/
https://doi.org/10.1029/2004GL021477
Description
Summary:Radio-echo sounding reveals a 10 km-long lake beneath ∼3.4 km of ice near the Ellsworth Mountains in West Antarctica, 20 km from the ice divide. Subglacial Lake Ellsworth is located within a distinct topographic hollow, which is ∼1.5 km deeper than the surrounding bed. Judging by bed slopes flanking the lake, the water depth is at least 10s of metres. Calculations of basal temperature reveal the ice base to be warm both now and during full glacial periods. As the environments of subglacial lakes are broadly similar, life may be expected in Lake Ellsworth as in any other. Given this, its physical characteristics, and the fact that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet has been accessed on several occasions, Lake Ellsworth is an excellent candidate for in situ examination.

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