Russian scientists have drilled down to a frozen lake in the Antarctic. (And yes, my title was deliberate.) The lake, named Vostok and discovered in 1996, is under about two miles of ice. It is estimated that the water in the lake has been sealed off from air and light for somewhere between 15 and 34 million years.
The bore hole had to be filled with kerosene to keep it from freezing. That won’t contaminate the lake, though, because the water was under pressure and pushed the material back up the bore hole. It created an ice plug which has sealed off the lake.
Because the Antarctic winter is coming on, the Russians won’t get water samples until next summer. Temperatures have already dropped to -50 degrees at the drill site.
One of the things scientists will be looking for is whether or not life exists in a lake two miles below the ice. If it does, it might also exist on some of Jupiter’s moons.
If you want more information, Google “Lake Vostok.” It’s an amazing story.
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