Physical, chemical and biological processes in Lake Vostok and other Antarctic subglacial lakes

Siegert, Martin J.; Ellis-Evans, J. Cynan; Tranter, Martyn; Mayer, Christoph; Petit, Jean-Robert; Salamatin, Andrey; Priscu, John C.. 2001 Physical, chemical and biological processes in Lake Vostok and other Antarctic subglacial lakes. Nature, 414 (6864). 603-609. 10.1038/414603a

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Abstract/Summary

Over 70 lakes have now been identi®ed beneath the Antarctic ice sheet. Although water from none of the lakes has been sampled directly, analysis of lake ice frozen (accreted) to the underside of the ice sheet above Lake Vostok, the largest of these lakes, has allowed inferences to be made on lake water chemistry and has revealed small quantities of microbes. These ®ndings suggest that Lake Vostok is an extreme, yet viable, environment for life. All subglacial lakes are subject to high pressure (,350 atmospheres), low temperatures (about -3 8C) and permanent darkness. Any microbes present must therefore use chemical sources to power biological processes. Importantly, dissolved oxygen is available at least at the lake surface, from equilibration with air hydrates released from melting basal glacier ice. Microbes found in Lake Vostok's accreted ice are relatively modern, but the probability of ancient lake-¯oor sediments leads to a possibility of a very old biota at the base of subglacial lakes.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1038/414603a
Programmes:	BAS Programmes > Pre 2000 programme
ISSN:	00280836
NORA Subject Terms:	Biology and Microbiology Chemistry
Date made live:	09 Nov 2012 09:39 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/20286

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