Lake Vostok and 400+ subglacial lakes mapped beneath Antarctic ice

Lake Vostok and 400+ subglacial lakes mapped beneath Antarctic ice. Lake Vostok sits in East Antarctica, buried beneath nearly 4 km of ice and sealed from the surface for 15 to 25 million years. Scientists first confirmed Lake Vostok's existence in the 1990s. Current estimates place the number of subglacial lakes in Antarctica at over 400, some connected by channels forming a subglacial drainage system.

Lake Vostok has been sealed beneath roughly 4 km of Antarctic ice for 15-25 million years, confirmed in the 1990s via radar. Today, researchers estimate 400+ subglacial lakes exist down there, some connected by channels forming a hidden drainage system. Pressure and geothermal heat keep the water liquid! 💧

Key Facts

• Lake Vostok sits in East Antarctica, buried beneath nearly 4 km of ice and sealed from the surface for 15 to 25 million years.
• Scientists first confirmed Lake Vostok's existence in the 1990s.
• Current estimates place the number of subglacial lakes in Antarctica at over 400, some connected by channels forming a subglacial drainage system.
• Pressure and geothermal heat from below keep the water liquid under kilometers of ice.

Source: An Insane Discovery Was Just Found Beneath Antarctica by Michael Button