Open AccessResearch Spotlight: Direct access to subglacial Lake Ellsworth
Author(s) -
Ofori Leslie,
Tretkoff Ernie
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/eo091i029p00260-03
Subject(s) - geology , shelf ice , glacier , inflow , water column , hydrology (agriculture) , oceanography , sediment , physical geography , geomorphology , ice shelf , cryosphere , geography , sea ice , geotechnical engineering
Since the discovery in 1996 that Lake Vostok, a subglacial lake in Antarctica, possessed a water column of more than 500 meters, scientists have come to believe that subglacial lakes are feasible habitats for life and may contain historical records of ice sheets and past climate within the sediments on their floors. So far, however, no subglacial lakes have been directly sampled. To determine a good location for direct measurements, Woodward et al. studied subglacial Lake Ellsworth in West Antarctica. The area is ideal for access because freezing and water circulation rates are low and are not affected by inflow of sediment with base water.