SUB GLACIAL LAKES OF ANTARTICA

Abstract

Antarctica is renowned for its extreme cold; yet liquid water occurs at the base of the Antarctic ice sheet, several kilometers beneath the surface. This discovery was first made in the 1970s by researchers using airborne radio-echo sounding measurements. Using both airborne and surface radar, researchers have now identified more than 145 Subglacial lakes, the largest of which is Lake Vostok. The presence of Subglacial lakes on the frozen continent has captured the interest of people, both scientists and nonscientists alike. These lakes and their connected aquatic systems are among the last unexplored places on Earth. Moreover, they have been sealed from free exchange with the atmosphere for millions of years, making it possible for unique microbial communities to exist in these environments. Scientists are excited to learn about how hydrologic systems below ice sheets are connected, how they function, and how they impact the flow of Antarctic ice; and to discover if sediments in the...