• Lake Vostok (that Antarctic one) is about to be tapped, friendly scientific competition between US a
    50 replies, posted
[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16907998[/url] [quote]The Russians have friendly competition from US and British teams. Researchers from the British Antarctic Survey (Bas) are hoping to begin their project to drill into Lake Ellsworth in Antarctica later this year.[/quote] well, who knows what they will find down there. [quote]The lake itself is about the same age as the ice that covers it - 14 million years old. The lake water is thought to be younger - tens or hundreds of thousands of years old - because water may flow between different sub-glacial lakes.[/quote] that's some old water, but that begs the question, how is water really "aged" anyways, since it's all recycled? Surely our bottled water is old, since it was taken from a lake that probably has old water? [quote] According to Russia's Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute in St Petersburg, the team began drilling on 2 January and has been progressing by about 1.75m (5.7ft) per day. On 12 January, the team halted activity to take measurements and to switch drills from a large ice-coring drill to a smaller thermal drill designed to melt through the final five to 10 metres (16 to 32ft) of ice. Prof Priscu from the University of Montana, US, who has been communicating with the Russian team, said this had been the plan, but cautioned that this could change due to conditions in the field. Lake Vostok, which is about the same size as Lake Ontario, is buried beneath nearly 4km of ice in the middle of the East Antarctic ice sheet. [/quote] waiiit a second, if they did 1.75 meters per day, and the lake is 4 km under, how did they get there that fast? one of those statistics must be wrong.
Water isn't recycled when it's been trapped in an ice pocket 4km down for thousands of years. It's an isolated ecosystem in Vostok.
Their gonna find an alien UFO and The Thing is gonna get them.
Wait, so they regained contact?
I can't wait until they break through. An ecosystem that has remained in such isolation for so long must be a breeding ground for species that we can't even imagine. It's going to be like finding sea creatures that are even stranger and/or creepier than the life we already find in super-deep sea areas.
I can't wait for lake vostoks frozen panties to be penetrated by science
[QUOTE=kidwithsword;34573714]I can't wait until they break through. An ecosystem that has remained in such isolation for so long must be a breeding ground for species that we can't even imagine. It's going to be like finding sea creatures that are even stranger and/or creepier than the life we already find in super-deep sea areas.[/QUOTE] It might even give us an idea of how likely it is for there to be life under Europa's ice layer.
[img]http://impawards.com/1982/posters/thing.jpg[/img]
[QUOTE=XxPsychoxX;34573676]Water isn't recycled when it's been trapped in an ice pocket 4km down for thousands of years. It's an isolated ecosystem in Vostok.[/QUOTE] still, then what constitutes "Recycling" and how do they determine the age?
Is it possible this lake is under pressure? What if they finally break through and the shit spews back up the hole into the lab.
[QUOTE=Smoot;34574132]Is it possible this lake is under pressure? What if they finally break through and the shit spews back up the hole into the lab.[/QUOTE] Well it kind of has to be under pressure if it's not frozen. Either that or have a chemical in it to keep it from freezing. There's also something about 4C water being denser than other water so it sinks to the bottom and doesn't freeze over
Oh shit guys, I just realized that if the Americans are working with them then it's inevitable that everyone will die apart from one dude with a beard and some chick
Isn't there some kind of treaty that prohibits altering/destroying/doing anything in Antarctica?
[QUOTE=trotskygrad;34573998]still, then what constitutes "Recycling" and how do they determine the age?[/QUOTE] The age is just how long it has been isolated from the weather cycle, kind of like putting water in a bottle and saying its a week old, though this is slightly different because this is an isolated lake where the same water has existed for an extremely long time and had no contact with the above world. Recycling could be seen as just that, being a continuous part of the weather cycle. Also if you drink tapwater, you are most likely drinking water that has passed through 5-10 other people before.
[QUOTE=Aerkhan;34574273]Isn't there some kind of treaty that prohibits altering/destroying/doing anything in Antarctica?[/QUOTE] Maybe, but if there is it's fucking silly. There's so much to be learned there, it's like being barred from sending a probe to Mars because they don't want to fuck up the potential wildlife.
[QUOTE=Aerkhan;34574273]Isn't there some kind of treaty that prohibits altering/destroying/doing anything in Antarctica?[/QUOTE] uh, since when has a treaty prevented research from being done. This isn't really "destruction" at all. That's like saying tagging whales with transponders is equivalent to hunting them, totally different things. It's not like we're planning to extract this water in a large mining operation.
There is a treaty stating that no wars will be fought on the continent of Antarctica, I believe.
[QUOTE=VOSK;34574424]There is a treaty stating that no wars will be fought on the continent of Antarctica, I believe.[/QUOTE] How would you even fight a war on Antarctica Everyone would be so cold they'd set up markers and hope the enemy napalms them
[QUOTE=Griffster26;34573706]alien UFO[/QUOTE] UFO = Unidentified Flying Object. I somewhat doubt they would find a flying object underwater
[QUOTE=VOSK;34574424]There is a treaty stating that no wars will be fought on the continent of Antarctica, I believe.[/QUOTE] Which is pretty funny because there has never been a war that hasn't broken some treaty or another. Infact, breaking treaties is really part of the definition of war.
[QUOTE=James xX;34575001]UFO = Unidentified Flying Object. I somewhat doubt they would find a flying object underwater[/QUOTE] Bitch please
[QUOTE=DrLuke;34575070]Bitch please[/QUOTE] Please bitch... Oh wait.
[QUOTE=James xX;34575001]UFO = Unidentified Flying Object. I somewhat doubt they would find a flying object underwater[/QUOTE] UFO can also stand for Unidentified Floating Object.
[QUOTE=Cone;34574476]How would you even fight a war on Antarctica Everyone would be so cold they'd set up markers and hope the enemy napalms them[/QUOTE] The Russians win... Since, Russian winters are the only thing colder and my harsh than the environment found in Antarctica.
[QUOTE=XxPsychoxX;34573676]Water isn't recycled when it's been trapped in an ice pocket 4km down for thousands of years. It's an isolated ecosystem in Vostok.[/QUOTE] An island is another example of an isolated ecosystem.
I want a bottle of that water to drink.
[QUOTE=Scrimp;34575904]I want a bottle of that water to drink.[/QUOTE] It's better to get some from Fiji because you know at least one person has been caniballized to get you that water.
So they got back in contact with them?
[QUOTE=James xX;34575001]UFO = Unidentified Flying Object. I somewhat doubt they would find a flying object underwater[/QUOTE] UUO then
if it's an isolated ecosystem wouldn't drilling into it contaminate it
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