Researchers studying lake Whillans, made many other exciting discoveries.
Researchers are not yet going to announce the opening of the eighth continent, but no doubt is now an exciting time to explore the “ice continent”.
Recent small study found a sub-glacial lake, which was at a depth of 800 meters under the ice cover of West Antarctica.
It was discovered 10 years ago, and scientists were busy with the many aspects of the study lakes including the fact that the lake looks like a wetland.
Researchers studying lake Whillans, made many other exciting discoveries. In the first place, it became known that the lake is filled due to the melting of glaciers. It was also found that the lake contains a small amount of seawater from ancient marine sediments on the lake bottom.
Note, the Us national science Foundation has funded a study of lake Whillans under a special program WISSARD (Whillans Ice Stream Subglacial Access Research Drilling).
Helen Amanda Fricker, who was the discoverer of the lake in 2007, said: “it’s Amazing to think that we didn’t know about the existence of the lake 10 years ago.”
Recent studies have also shown that the waters of the lake periodically drains through channels in the ocean.
This information, scientists hope to use for the benefit of the environment. They hope that the study of subglacial lakes, will help to further increase the flow of water from the continent to the ocean, and therefore this will lead to sea level rise.
