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Lake Vostok Reached

Posted by samzenpus on from the say-hello-to-the-elder-things dept.

First time accepted submitter Cyberax writes "After 30 years of drilling and weeks of media attention the Antarctic underground lake Vostok has been reached by Russian scientists (translated article). Deep drilling in the vicinity of Vostok Station in Antarctica began in the 1970s, when the existence of the reservoir was not yet known. Scientists are beginning paleoclimatic studies and further exploration of the lake will continue in 2013-2014."

11 of 156 comments (clear)

  1. We all know what will happen by Trilkk · · Score: 5, Funny

    Expecting a lone husky to be seen escaping the facility in 2 days time.

  2. By extraordinary coincidence... by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It turns out that the microbiological conditions of ancient lake Vostok are strikingly similar to those of early 21st century drilling mud.

    The timeline altering implications of this discovery will keep scientists busy for decades!

    1. Re:By extraordinary coincidence... by Cyberax · · Score: 5, Informative

      Nope. The lake had almost been reached in 1998 but drilling was stopped to ensure that there would be no contamination. Several years were spent to devise a good solution for the problem of contamination. So the drilling has been resumed only in 2005 when the international community decided that it's safe enough.

      They're using a well filled with kerosene and freon to keep bacterial contamination away. Also, they're using sterilized parts without grease to minimize places where bacteria could hide.

    2. Re:By extraordinary coincidence... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      Was there ever any compromise on their drilling procedure?

      My understanding was that the Russians were using a method that was likely to cause contamination, despite pleas by western agencies for them to either a) hold off until better tech was developed or b) funding was established to allow them to use (donated) already-developed tech from the west that would be less contaminating?

      I'd guess since this is happening roughly according to their original schedule, the answer is "no" which would be tragic.

      According to the Google translation of the article the drilling was put on hold while the technology was developed at the St. Petersburg Institute. Western nations approved the Russian proposals after that at a 2003 meeting.

      So to answer you, the answer is "yes" which is not tragic.

  3. Re:I am not sure the yeti will like that :) by localman57 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Huh. I can see the "I Tapped That at Vostok" T-Shirts and Bumper Stickers now...

  4. Considering climate change... by larys · · Score: 5, Funny

    and how so few people/countries seem to be taking lifestyle-changing action against it, they wasted 30 years when in a few years or so, they might have the ice melt enough for them to reach the lake by just tapping on a thin sheet of it with the back of a pencil...

  5. Stargate? by HiChris! · · Score: 5, Funny

    Did they find the Stargate yet? or the weapons platform?

  6. Re:I am not sure the yeti will like that :) by Abreu · · Score: 5, Funny

    "In his house at R'lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming..."

    Until some pesky humans drill into his cool jacuzzi...

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    No sig for the moment.
  7. Re:Melt by Mente · · Score: 5, Funny

    Bruce Willis could have drilled it in a matter of hours.

  8. Re:Something not mentioned - by pz · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Or, just as short-sighted (and more common) is the idea that somehow that bit of matter got stuck in time and has remained impervious to the forces of random genetic mutation and evolution through the intervening years. Same idea comes across when we land on some asteroid, or explore some new bit of Mars, and loudly declare that it is a sample of matter left over from the birth of the solar system, or some such huey, as if it popped through a portal in time. The forces of nature still act on such things, even if they've been isolated from more large-scale interactions.

    Lake Vostok might (we think) have been sealed off for a very long time, but that doesn't mean it's a glimpse into the past, but, rather, a glimpse into a different version of the present.

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    Put my fist through my alarm clock with its ding-dong death inside my ear. - The Blackjacks.
  9. Re:Now, the Predators come by Rogerborg · · Score: 5, Funny

    The team is in constant communication

    But all they've been communicating is "Send more ugly-bags-of-mostly-water".

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    If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.