Russians to enter lake that's been sealed off by ice for 14 million years.

[FLPanhandle]

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2011-01/07/russians-penetrate-lake-vostok

Lake Vostok, which has been sealed off from the world for 14 million years, is about to be penetrated by a Russian drill bit.

The lake, which lies four kilometres below the icy surface of Antarctica, is unique in that it's been completely isolated from the other 150 subglacial lakes on the continent for such a long time. It's also oligotropic, meaning that it's supersaturated with oxygen -- levels of the element are 50 times higher than those found in most typical freshwater lakes.

Since 1990, the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute in St Petersberg in Russia has been drilling through the ice to reach the lake, but fears of contamination of the ecosystem in the lake have stopped the process multiple times, most notably in 1998 when the drills were turned off for almost eight years.

Now, the team has satisfied the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat, which safeguards the continent's environment, that it's come up with a technique to sample the lake without contaminating it. Valery Lukin told New Scientist: "Once the lake is reached, the water pressure will push the working body and the drilling fluid upwards in the borehole, and then freeze again." The next season, the team will bore into that frozen water to recover a sample whose contents can then be analysed.


I have to wonder if there is anything (probably bacteria) living in it. Isolated for 14 million years. Pretty cool

[LuvNewcastle]

1. I think I saw an X-Files episode similar to this.

If I remember correctly, it didn't turn out very well.:scared:

[WhiteTara]

2. ah, what could go wrong?

:rofl:

[Skink]

8. Sculley let's just do this.

:)

[greytdemocrat]

16. Yeah...

Some things should probably just be left alone...

[flying rabbit]

3. Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!

'nuff said.
:evilgrin:

[TheMadMonk]

6. Pazuzu, Pazuzu, Pazuzu to u too. /ntARGGGGHHHHHH

[Lucinda]

4. It's both cool and a little scary.

And exciting. :)

[Horse with no Name]

5. Spores.

Might be interesting to research if their were any plagues during that time period.:)

[Ilsa]

10. That's what I was wondering: are there any exotic viruses or bacteria frozen

There that shouldn't be released?

[petronius]

7. My first guess was that they were going to guzzle a few gallons of vodka

and leap in for a naked polar bear swim. :)

The truth is both more and less interesting. Cool story...

[gateley]

9. Fascinating - K&R. nt

[walldude]

11. 14 million years? Th world is only 6 thousand years old.

Shit, don't you people know a commie plot when you see one?

[freshwest]

15. LOL!

[RedCloud]

12. Maybe they can bottle that super oxygen and sell it!

[FLPanhandle]

13. I'm reminded of the Northern Exposure episode where they sold ancient water

Made all the women horny and the men emotional. That could be fun.

[unkachuck]

14. "...fears of contamination of the ecosystem..."

....not to worry....just pour a couple of 55 gallon drums of chlorine bleach down the hole and keep on truckin'....

....is there no place unexploited on the planet, unsoiled by human activity? Why can't we leave pristine things alone if for no other reason than to pass opportunity and knowledge on to future generations smarter than us....

[muriel_volestrangler]

18. This is how to get the knowledge

There's no obvious point at which you can say "they will be smart enough to analyse this in 150 years' time, but we aren't now, so we'll leave it". They think they've figured out a way to take a sample without contaminating the lake.

They have a choice: pass on opportunity, or knowledge, to future generations. They've gone for the knowledge.

[demwing]

17. Isolated for 14 million years? Super saturated with oxygen?

Either the oxygen is 14 million years old, or something down there is creating fresh oxygen.