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Subglacial Lake Vostok cracked for a second time
New Scientist ^
| 03 February 2015
| by Catherine Brahic
Posted on 02/12/2015 6:56:12 PM PST by Fred Nerks
They've cracked it - again! A Russian team of ice explorers has broken through to a lake buried beneath nearly 4 kilometres of Antarctic ice. The lake has been isolated from the surface for 15 million years and could hold extreme forms of life never seen before, perhaps even offering clues as to what life on other planets might look like. Lake Vostok is Antarctica's largest subglacial lake. It was reached once before in 2012, when a Russian team finished drilling a hole some 3770 metres down to its surface. They claimed that water samples they obtained from this borehole contained DNA that was unlike known bacteria, suggesting they may have found an unusual native species. But the find is controversial, not least because the samples were contaminated with fluid used to aid drilling. The second attempt reached the lake surface at 5.12 pm on 25 January. The team used the same borehole down to 3400 metres below the surface, after which the holes diverge. This time, the team says they proceeded with extreme caution and are confident that the new samples they retrieved are pristine lake water. Using information on the lake's pressure and depth, collected in 2012, they calculated how slowly they needed to raise the drill to avoid a piston effect, whereby lake water suddenly surges upwards and mixes with drilling fluids, which is what happened last time. The team was led by Vladimir Lipenkov of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute and Nikolay Vasiliev of the National Mineral Resources University, both in St Petersberg.
(Excerpt) Read more at newscientist.com ...
TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: antarctic; catastrophism; lake; vostok
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To: 5th MEB
41
posted on
02/12/2015 8:56:56 PM PST
by
Vendome
(Don't take life so seriously-you won't live through it anyway-Enjoy Yourself ala Louis Prima)
To: tumblindice
42
posted on
02/12/2015 8:57:22 PM PST
by
Bobalu
(If we live to see 2017 we will be kissing the ground)
To: 5th MEB
43
posted on
02/12/2015 8:59:01 PM PST
by
Beowulf9
To: spokeshave
Kewel
Wuz 1/2 expecting someone to post Langoliers...
44
posted on
02/12/2015 9:11:36 PM PST
by
Vendome
(Don't take life so seriously-you won't live through it anyway-Enjoy Yourself ala Louis Prima)
To: Vendome
But got Hellraiser, the aquatic edition
"The Lake, you opened it, we come forth..."
45
posted on
02/12/2015 9:52:24 PM PST
by
lapsus calami
(What's that stink? Code Pink ! ! And their buddy Murtha, too!)
To: Fred Nerks
Paging John Carpenter. John Carpenter please pick up the Antarctic white courtesy phone.
46
posted on
02/12/2015 9:54:26 PM PST
by
KarlInOhio
(Darth Obama on 529 plans: I am altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it any further.)
To: BenLurkin
47
posted on
02/12/2015 10:27:37 PM PST
by
Viking2002
(Buy a generator and alert the power company - next Christmas, I go Full Griswold.)
To: Viking2002
48
posted on
02/12/2015 11:55:43 PM PST
by
BenLurkin
(The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
To: Fred Nerks
American liberals are wringing their hands about contamination, while the Russians are probably pulling up sturgeon from the thing and having a fish fry.
49
posted on
02/13/2015 12:03:01 AM PST
by
Talisker
(One who commands, must obey.)
To: BenLurkin
Oh, OK. SyFy. I tried to get into it, but work got in the way. I think it’s on Netflix now. Is it any good?
50
posted on
02/13/2015 12:14:33 AM PST
by
Viking2002
(Buy a generator and alert the power company - next Christmas, I go Full Griswold.)
To: Vendome
What’s the story behind the pic?
To: stuck_in_new_orleans
Dunno.
I was looking for something else and it seemed apt...
52
posted on
02/13/2015 12:34:20 AM PST
by
Vendome
(Don't take life so seriously-you won't live through it anyway-Enjoy Yourself ala Louis Prima)
To: stuck_in_new_orleans
Okay, found it.
It’s some guy that does underwater sculptures.
Jason DeCaires Taylor
53
posted on
02/13/2015 12:39:32 AM PST
by
Vendome
(Don't take life so seriously-you won't live through it anyway-Enjoy Yourself ala Louis Prima)
To: stuck_in_new_orleans
54
posted on
02/13/2015 12:39:57 AM PST
by
Vendome
(Don't take life so seriously-you won't live through it anyway-Enjoy Yourself ala Louis Prima)
To: stuck_in_new_orleans
55
posted on
02/13/2015 12:41:03 AM PST
by
Vendome
(Don't take life so seriously-you won't live through it anyway-Enjoy Yourself ala Louis Prima)
To: Fred Nerks
There was an X Files episode about this. It was called Ice. Nothing good can come from this.
56
posted on
02/13/2015 12:44:30 AM PST
by
762X51
To: stuck_in_new_orleans
I remember hearing about this.
Some friends told me about this off the coast of Cancun.
I hate Cancun but I love the water and my friends told me I should dive and see this place but after I dive across the way in Cozumel and the Isle of Mujer.
I’m going back next winter and I’ll remember to do this...
57
posted on
02/13/2015 12:50:37 AM PST
by
Vendome
(Don't take life so seriously-you won't live through it anyway-Enjoy Yourself ala Louis Prima)
To: stuck_in_new_orleans
58
posted on
02/13/2015 2:22:47 AM PST
by
Vendome
(Don't take life so seriously-you won't live through it anyway-Enjoy Yourself ala Louis Prima)
To: Viking2002
I stopped watching after one or two episodes in the first season.
59
posted on
02/13/2015 7:08:31 AM PST
by
BenLurkin
(The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
To: dead
I would love to know whats down there too, but putting the Russians in charge of making sure its done right is like asking a orangutan to put away your china.
You are funny. That’s so true.
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