Antarctica's secret lake

• Autores: Andy Coghlan
• Localización: New scientist, ISSN 0262-4079, Nº. 3071, 2016, págs. 8-9
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Antarctica may be hiding a large lake under its ice--second only to Lake Vostok in size. Such subglacial lakes are of great interest because they could harbor unique life forms that may have existed in isolation for millions of years. Sediments at the bottom of such lakes may also help determine how vulnerable Antarctica's ice is to melting, a potential consequence of climate change that would lead to several meters of sea level rise. Although it doesn't quite beat Lake Vostok's 240-km by 60-km size, the new lake is much closer to research stations. This would make it easier to approach and study in detail, says Martin Siegert of Imperial College London, a member of the team that located the putative lake.