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Russian Scientists Bore Into Ancient Antarctic Lake (the size of Lake Ontario)

by artappraiser 2/8/2012 - 6:09 pm

By David M. Herszenhorn and James Gorman, New York Times, Feb. 8/9, 2012

MOSCOW — In the coldest spot on the earth’s coldest continent, Russian scientists have reached a freshwater lake the size of Lake Ontario after spending a decade drilling through more than two miles of solid ice, the scientists said on Wednesday.

A statement by the chief of the Vostok Research Station, A.M. Yelagin, released by the director of the Russian Antarctic Expedition, Valery Lukin, said the drill made contact with the lake water at a depth of 12, 366 feet. As planned, lake water under pressure rushed up the bore hole 100-130 feet pushing drilling fluid up and away from the pristine water, Mr. Yelagin said, and forming a frozen plug that will prevent contamination. Next Antarctic season the scientists will return to take samples of the water [....]

The need to prevent even the slightest contamination of the lake is acute. Its environment is comparable to conditions on the moons of Jupiter, which are among the candidates for extraterrestrial life. If life exists in Vostok, it may well exist on Europa, one of the moons of Jupiter [....]

Also see:

World War II Rumor About an Ancient Lake Is Revived
By J. David Goodman @ The Lede, Feb. 8

Read the full article at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/09/world/europe/russian-scientists-bore-into-ancient-antarctic-lake.html?hp

Thanks for the update. I knew they were drilling, I did not realize they had finally made it through. Others might not, but I find this exciting!

(I was completely unaware of the Hitler rumor!)

by Verified Atheist 2/8/2012 - 8:00 pm

So The Thing was not primordial nor alien; just Hitler's ghost?  No where near as scary, is it?

I would not be surprised to learn that the Germans looked for heavy water in Antartica just as they did in Scandanavia and the Artic.  I was surprised that there was no mention of that possibility in the second linked article.

by EmmaZahn 2/8/2012 - 8:28 pm

Pretty cool. Even though the plan was merely to complete the drilling this season, then shut down for the Antarctic winter, I imagine they did take samples of the lake water that gushed up the hole before it froze into "an icy plug."

My impression is that the water in the 5-inch drill hole won't freeze all the way down because it would remain at the same pressure as the lake water below it. (Otherwise, they'd have to start all over in the Antarctic spring, no?) Has anyone read how deep the plug is expected to freeze? Just curious.

by acanuck 2/9/2012 - 4:41 pm

Unless I misunderstand your questions, I think they are answered in the second paragraph?

First, they haven't taken samples yet

Next Antarctic season the scientists will return to take samples of the water

And second

As planned, lake water under pressure rushed up the bore hole 100 to 130 feet pushing drilling fluid up and away from the pristine water,

it's only 100-130 feet that would/could refreeze, then there's the kept open drilling above that, 12,200 feet? It's also explained later that there was freon between the drilling fluid and the water.

by artappraiser 2/9/2012 - 5:20 pm (re: acanuck)

OK, I reread the article. I had assumed the pressure when they hit the lake water would expel all the kerosene being used as a drilling fluid, and give them some samples (most likely contaminated) to take a preliminary look at. I overestimated, I guess, how much downward pressure a two-mile-thick slab of ice would exert.

I suppose they'll cap the hole with the drilling fluid, the freon buffer, and the frozen lakewater plug still in position until Antararctic spring. I'm sure they've got a plan for getting uncontaminated samples up through a thoroughly contaminated shaft. That sounds like they trickiest part, however.

by acanuck 2/10/2012 - 2:43 am (re: artappraiser)

I hear their plan to get uncontaminated samples involves some partnership with NASA. NASA is apparently going to disassemble a Mars Rover, which will then be lowered, piece by piece, through the borehole, before finally be reassembled inside the lake.

Sounds incredible, but the technicians are already hard at it.

The tougher part - obviously - is the reassembly of the Rover, which has to be done from miles above the Antarctic lake.

Word is, however, that they've cracked the problem and are putting together a crack team of "Ship in a Bottle" specialists. 

by Quinnonymous (not verified) 2/10/2012 - 10:37 am (re: acanuck)

I'm sorry to say that NASA has called it off.

by Verified Atheist 2/10/2012 - 11:29 am (re: Quinnonymous)

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