A team of British scientists have discovered a subglacial lake in the Antarctic region that has been sealed off for millions of years. Believed to be slightly smaller than Lake Vostok, the experts conject that life forms could have been living on this site in prehistoric times. So, what lies beneath the lake?
The discovery is part of a research published in the Geology journal. The scientists said that hidden life could have eventually evolved while the remote lake remained buried in ice.
Lake Vostok Life Discovery In 2012
Back in 2012, another team of scientists from Russia uncovered Lake Vostok near their station and deduced evidence that pointed to Lake Vostok life forms. However, the scientists didn't receive much support from their discovery as their drilling process was determined to have contaminated the lake's waters. The Russians then devised a new technique and proceeded to drill on the site in 2015.
Lake Vostok breakthrough: Russian scientists drill 'clean' hole into subglacial basin https://t.co/hQNjYZTRGV pic.twitter.com/td42fUprtQ
— RT (@RT_com) January 25, 2015
While this was going on, a team of American scientists started working on Lake Whillans in the Antarctic in 2013 and made sure that their drilling technique underwent a sterilization process. The scientists discovered microbial life forms of about 4,000 species and published their report in the Nature Journal.
Discovery reports that with the kind of ecosystem in these sites, Lake Vostok life might have fed on the bacteria and mineral from the ice. Thus, the British scientists proceeded their probe on Antarctica in the hopes of finding proof of hidden life. This time, they ventured into the remote and sealed off lakes that the Russian and American teams haven't worked on.
Lake Whillans in west Antarctica. In this lake, half a mile beneath the ice, life thrives!https://t.co/3OBc7VZ2MM pic.twitter.com/NO8E5YqCsn — EarthSky (@earthskyscience) October 11, 2014
Lake Vostok Life Further Probing Needed
The newly-discovered lake is from the "last un-researched part of Antarctica," said scientist Bryn Hubbard via New Scientist. They learned of its existence using satellite imagery. The British team is also going to study the lake's biological makeup to further underscore if it was possible for species and unique Lake Vostok life forms to have evolved.
