As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
FAST FACTS
Call: Lake Vostok
Area: East Antarctica
Collaborates: -77.45268382042562, 106.23142584023033
Why it’s amazing: The lake is among the biggest in the world, however it lies underneath a number of miles of ice.
Lake Vostok is a huge lake in Antarctica that is comparable in size to North America’s Lake Ontario. Unlike Lake Ontario, Lake Vostok sits below more than 2 miles (3 kilometers) of wind-blown snow and ice.
When a massive surface area lake, Lake Vostok ended up being buried a minimum of 15 million years agowith some quotes recommending it has actually been continually covered for a lot longer– 20 million years or moreAs an outcome of being cut off from light and the environment for so long, the lake harbors a special environment of extremophiles– animals that have actually developed to flourish in severe conditions.
Related: Researchers peered into a secret Antarctic lake concealed below the ice– and revealed a never-before-seen environment
Lake Vostok has to do with 150 miles (240 km) long and 30 miles (50 km) large. It is the greatest of Antarctica’s more than 400 subglacial lakeswhich are spread throughout the continent because low levels of geothermal heat melt the base of the ice sheet.
The lake lies near Russia’s Vostok research study station, approximately 800 miles (1,300 km) from the South Pole. Researchers have actually inhabited Vostok given that 1957, they had no concept the lake existed up until the 1960s, when a Russian geographer and pilot very first discovered the flat, reasonably smooth stretch of ice above it from the air.
In 1993, scientists discovered the lake with satellite-based radar innovation efficient in permeating the ice. And in 2012, Vostok researchers lastly prospered in a years-long effort to drill down to the lake through the ice.
Organisms in Lake Vostok might endure off chemicals in Antarctica’s bedrock, which scientists mapped in information in 2013. (Image credit: NASA/ CYNTHIA STARR)
Lake Vostok has to do with 0.6 miles (1 km) deep at its south end and relatively shallower at its north and southwest corners. Scientist mapped the bottom of the lake and discovered that the deep and shallow locations are separated by a ridge, which they believe may be peppered with hydrothermal vents comparable to those in the Pacific Ocean
Get the world’s most interesting discoveries provided directly to your inbox.
The lake’s only source of water is the ice sheet above it. The water temperature level hovers around 27 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 3 degrees Celsius)however it stays liquid thanks to the squashing pressure of the overlying ice sheet, which decreases the freezing point of the water.
Many types of microorganisms populate the lake, consisting of marine lifeforms that recommend the water body was when linked to the ocean. Scientist tested a layer of frozen water called accretion ice that sits on top of the lake and discovered it includes DNA from more than 3,500 organismsconsisting of fungis and germs frequently discovered in the gastrointestinal systems of fish.
Due to the absence of light obstructing photosynthesisthese organisms have actually developed to delight in minerals in the water and chemicals produced in the bedrock. Scientists believe that more studying them might offer ideas about life on other worlds and moons, consisting of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa.
Discover more extraordinary locationswhere we highlight the wonderful history and science behind a few of the most remarkable landscapes in the world.
Learn more
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
