Lake Ellsworth
Encyclopedia
Lake Ellsworth is a subglacial lake
located in West Antarctica
under approximately 3.4 km of ice. It is approximately 10 km long and is estimated to be tens of meters in depth. It is strongly considered as a site for direct exploration due to the possibility that it may harbor unique life forms as well as its relatively easy accessibility. The lake is named for the American explorer Lincoln Ellsworth
.
On March 2, 2009 the Natural Environment Research Council
gave a team of British scientists the go-ahead to explore this lake. This pioneering research will develop the technology to explore the lake using methods that will not lead to contamination. Water samples will be taken and analysed for signs of life.
Scientists will use a hot water jet to drill down the ice to the lake, then a cable with a probe will retrieve sediment and water for analysis. It is predicted the results could hold key information about climate change.
Subglacial lake
A subglacial lake is a lake under a glacier, typically an ice cap or ice sheet. There are many such lakes, with Lake Vostok in Antarctica being by far the largest known at present.-Characteristics:...
located in West Antarctica
West Antarctica
West Antarctica, or Lesser Antarctica, one of the two major regions of Antarctica, is the part of the continent that lies within the Western Hemisphere including the Antarctic Peninsula.-Location and description:...
under approximately 3.4 km of ice. It is approximately 10 km long and is estimated to be tens of meters in depth. It is strongly considered as a site for direct exploration due to the possibility that it may harbor unique life forms as well as its relatively easy accessibility. The lake is named for the American explorer Lincoln Ellsworth
Lincoln Ellsworth
Lincoln Ellsworth was an arctic explorer from the United States.-Birth:He was born on May 12, 1880 to James Ellsworth and Eva Frances Butler in Chicago, Illinois...
.
On March 2, 2009 the Natural Environment Research Council
Natural Environment Research Council
The Natural Environment Research Council is a British research council that supports research, training and knowledge transfer activities in the environmental sciences.-History:...
gave a team of British scientists the go-ahead to explore this lake. This pioneering research will develop the technology to explore the lake using methods that will not lead to contamination. Water samples will be taken and analysed for signs of life.
Scientists will use a hot water jet to drill down the ice to the lake, then a cable with a probe will retrieve sediment and water for analysis. It is predicted the results could hold key information about climate change.
External links
- Antarctic lake may hold life clue
- The Exploration of Subglacial Lake Ellsworth
- Drilling Into the Unknown: First Exploration of a Sub-Glacial Antarctic Lake Is a Major Step Closer
- Woodward, J., A. M. Smith, N. Ross, M. Thoma, H. F. J. Corr, E. C. King, M. A. King, K. Grosfeld, M. Tranter, and M. J. Siegert (2010), Location for direct access to subglacial Lake Ellsworth: An assessment of geophysical data and modeling, Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, L11501, doi:10.1029/2010GL042884