The Antarctic ice is finding its secrets harder and harder to keep.

Deep below the ice of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, the giant ice sheet in the world, scientists have confirmed the existence of a huge lake of liquid water.

Researchers have named it Lake Snow Eagle and believe that sediments within it could contain information about the evolution of the Antarctic ice sheet from its very earliest formation.

“This lake is likely to have a record of the entire history of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, its initiation over 34 million years ago, as well as its growth and evolution across glacial cycles since then,” says geophysicist Don Blankenship of The University of Texas at Austin’s Institute for Geophysics.

“Our observations also suggest that the ice sheet changed significantly about 10,000 years ago, although we have no idea why.”

Although East Antarctica is the coldest place on Earth, it’s not completely frozen. Hundreds of lakes of liquid water – known as subglacial lakes – have been discovered hidden beneath the ice covering the continent.

There are several factors at play that allow these reservoirs to exist. The ice sheet’s mass produces pressure, which dramatically lowers the freezing point of water trapped beneath it.

In addition, the ice sheet itself provides insulation against the frigid air, while the rocks below offer a source of gentle heating. What’s more, if the water is briny, saturated with salts, that too can lower the freezing point further.

Scientists can detect subglacial lakes by using ice-penetrating radar from above. The radar signal is propagated through the ice and bounced back, and by comparing the transmitted signal with the returned signal, scientists can study what’s below the ice.

A radar signal that bounces back through liquid water is brighter or more reflective than other media.

In the case of Lake Snow Eagle, the first hint was a significant depression observed in the ice sheet, revealed by satellite images.

So a research team, led by geophysicist Shuai Yan of The University of Texas at Austin, set about obtaining radar data for the region and measurements of Earth’s magnetic field over a period of three years, from 2016 to 2019.

Analysis of the radar data revealed a large patch, deep below the ice, shining brightly. This, the researchers confirmed, was Lake Snow Eagle: one of the largest subglacial lakes ever discovered.

“I literally jumped when I first saw that bright radar reflection,” Yan says.

The body of water lies some 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) below the ice sheet, and it’s substantial. It measures some 42 kilometers in length and 15 kilometers in width, covering an area of 370 square kilometers, and containing 21 cubic kilometers of water, with a depth of 200 meters (656 feet).

Previous articleNASA to Provide Update on InSight Mars Lander on May 17
Next articleSunspot Emits Huge X-Class Sun Flare While ‘Having an Identity Crisis’, According to Scientists
Alice Jane
Alice is the Chief Editor with relevant experience of three years, Alice has founded Galaxy Reporters. She has a keen interest in the field of science. She is the pillar behind the in-depth coverages of Science news. She has written several papers and high-level documentation.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here