Antarctica's Hidden Lakes and Mountains

Beneath Antarctica's dense ice sheet, a world of underwater secrets lies in wait. For millions of years, a lake the size of Lake Ontario has been trapped beneath over two miles of ice. This is only one of the hundreds of submerged lakes found under Antarctica's glaciers. Among the icy expanse, lies a vast mountain range comparable to the Alps, almost completely buried and hidden from view. But what lies beneath and why should it matter? And how do scientists conduct their explorations?

Journey to the hidden world

Deep beneath the Antarctica ice, a world awaits discovery. There are rivers and mountains, along with the four hundred known lakes buried under the ice, Lake Vostok being the largest. These lakes are created when lying beneath the ice is heated geothermal energy or heat from the Earth, which melts the ice above. At Lake Vostok, the lake itself could contain microbes and living organisms given there are thousands of microbes found in other lakes in Antarctica. Everything found below Antarctica is a testament to what the world was like: for example, 90 million years ago, Antarctica was a temperate rainforest. On the deepest section of the world, the Denman trough lies under Antarctica, whose floor can be described as deeper below sea level than Grand Canyon.

Global warming's impact on Antarctica

In 2013, scientists achieved a significant milestone when they successfully drilled into subglacial Lake Whillans, half a mile underwater, and discovered thousands of kinds of living microbes. It was once a temperate rainforest, but climate change is accelerating the melting of the ice. Antarctica is warming faster than the rest of the world and when it melts, it will contribute to rising sea levels. This could result in catastrophic events, so when we think of Antarctica, we think of consequences beyond the ice.

The silent world

The quiet that envelopes Antarctica is profound and unsettling. It is the quietest place on Earth, a silence that would be complete, were it not for the hum of the drilling equipment and the crackling of the radio transmissions. Background music, the most significant noise heard, plays under the scene. Within this landscape, the geologist Benjamin Billey explains that Antarctica itself is a peace of history, fossilised, in a way. This profound quiet is unique and scientists come to study this environment, hoping they can learn more about the microbes that live beneath the ice. Scientists are looking for signs of alien life in Antarctica, it is a test to see if anything can survive in similar conditions elsewhere in the universe.

The drilling process

The drilling process is not as simple as it may seem. Buried under 2 miles of ice, scientists must work painstakingly to drill in complete darkness deep into the water. It involves a lot of technology, such as hot water, pressure, and drilling tools. It is also designed to minimise contamination. Scientists must work to minimise the possibility that the water will come into contact with contaminants from the surface. They are looking for signs of life, so the integrity of the sample is vital. Antarctica has several lakes that have not been discovered, let alone drilled, meaning the majority of the research has yet to take place. Even though scientists have plans to drill more, the funding may not be available, and the process has many hurdles.

Extreme conditions

Anything that lives below the ice is an indication of what could live in similar conditions. These microbe samples are then taken back and studied in laboratories and are safely stored at warm conditions. The conditions in which the organisms are found are harsh: below freezing temperatures, complete darkness, and extreme pressure. It's a hostile world, and yet, life endures. Even under incredibly harsh conditions, there is life.

What scientists hope to find

This is one of the most extreme places on Earth, and scientists hope to find a world of rich biodiversity. Scientists believe these microbes might offer clues about the origins of life on Earth or even the potential for life on other planets. After all, if life can survive in such inhospitable conditions here, perhaps it can thrive elsewhere in the universe. Antarctica remains one of the most intriguing and least explored regions on Earth. Despite the harsh conditions and the challenges of conducting research there, scientists continue to push the boundaries of our knowledge, driven by the desire to unravel the mysteries of this frozen world. How they go about it, however, is to be seen. Even now, Antarctica continues to yield new secrets each time we drill down into the layers of icy underearth. This secret, frozen world shows that Antarctica is a unique and fragile environment—and the knowledge we gain from it can have profound implications for our understanding of life on Earth and beyond.