According to a February 4 report by American media, Russian scientists currently exploring Antarctica have announced that they are about to drill through a 3,750-meter-thick ice cap to uncover an underground lake that has been covered by snow and ice for as long as 15 million years but has not frozen over. Through this exploration, they aim to explore ancient life forms and attempt to unravel the mysteries of species evolution during the Ice Age.
As the Antarctic summer is about to end, Russian scientists must work around the clock to drill through the final five meters of the ice cap. The Russian scientists began drilling at Vostok Station in Antarctica in 1970. Even though it is currently summer in Antarctica, the temperature outside remains as low as minus 40 degrees Celsius.
Although covered by several kilometers of ice all year round, scientists say that for these subglacial lakes, the thick ice layer acts like a "down quilt," protecting them from the fierce storms and polar cold of the outside world. Therefore, despite such a long period of time, most Antarctic subglacial lakes remain unfrozen.
Records show that there are a total of 150 underground lakes beneath the Antarctic glaciers. This exploration focuses on Lake Vostok, the largest subglacial lake in the world, whose size rivals that of Lake Baikal, the largest and deepest freshwater lake in the world by volume. Lake Vostok contains supersaturated oxygen and possesses a unique biological environment.
Scientists believe that there are numerous species yet undiscovered by humans in Lake Vostok, providing vivid evidence and clues to understanding biological evolution before and during the Ice Age. According to scientists' speculation, the organisms currently surviving in these lakes and oceans formed 500 million years ago should be primitive creatures such as worms, mollusks, and algae.
(Reported by China Daily)