The Lost World of Lake Vida
Explanation:
A lake hidden beneath 19 meters of ice has been
found near the bottom of the world that might contain an
ecosystem completely separate from our own.
In a modern version of
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's classic book
Lost World, scientists are now
plotting a mission to drill down into the lake and
take out a small part to see what's there.
Lake Vida, buried under
Antarctic ice for over 2,500 years,
is liquid only because of its high
salt content.
Previously, scientists drilled to within a few meters
of the lake and indeed found frozen
microbes.
Their existence bolsters speculation that similar
microorganisms could be
found in frozen brine beneath the surface of
Mars.
If
living organisms are found in Lake Vida, they may give an
indication that
life might even still exist under similar
frozen ice-sheets, such as under the larger
Lake Vostok, parts of Mars, and even moons of
Jupiter such as
Europa.
Pictured above, a robot meteorological station continues to
monitor surface conditions over the ice-sealed lake.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
