Life in Lake Ellsworth?

December 16th, 2012

Lake Ellsworth is a sub glacial lake in the Antarctic and presently there are a group of British Scientists drilling 3.2KM through the ice to reach it. The mission is result of years of preparation to conclude whether life in bacterial form can exist in such extreme conditions and to explore the very boundaries at which life can exist. The lake itself is in liquid form mainly because of the enormous pressure above it, not only being below sea level it has a 1.8 mile ice block on top of it, these factors raise it pressure to 310 Bar or 4,496 psi, so the researchers have concluded (oddly the freezing point of water at that pressure is much the same at atmospheric so I’m guessing that was misreported), the heat from the earth’s core probably plays a significant role. Samples of the lake’s water will be brought to the surface and analysed as well as a core sample from the bed of the lake, these studies along with carbon dating techniques, may give us information as to whether the Antarctic has always been frozen and clues to climatic conditions millions of years ago. If no life is found at all it will give us a boundary of the very limits of life, if however life is discovered, it opens endless possibilities of the existence of extra terrestrial life in places such as the icy moons of our solar system.

Updates:
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE WEBSITE
Scientists Analysing Mud From Lake Bed
Ok, 25th Dec the latest I have is they have the spare part delivered for the boiler. Hopefully there is enough fuel left to complete the drilling process.

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