Looking ahead, how we survey Lake Vostok may also provide ideas for how to search for life on another "ice world" millions of miles from Antarctica, on the planet Jupiter's giant moon, Europa. Recent images from the orbiting Galileo spacecraft show cracks which researchers believe are very similar to those they see in the Arctic and Antarctic. They think this may mean there's an ocean of liquid water down below. And where there's liquid water and energy we now know life can't be ruled out. In coming years we may find life not just in the extremes of Antarctica, but also in previously unexpected places in our solar system. |
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And where there's liquid water and energy we now know life can't be ruled out.
In coming years we may find life not just in the extremes of antarctica, but also in previously unexpected places in our solar system. That's one reason why NASA, the space agency, sends people like Alberto Behar to live and work on "The Ice."
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Alberto and colleagues from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the California Institute of Technology were here to test a robot designed to send up video from deep bore-holes, and show glaciologists what's happening at the rock-ice boundary.
And how do you bore through nearly one kilometer of ice? You start with lots of hot water! Then you un-spool the "cryo-bot," or ice robot, equipped with 2 sideways pointing video cameras.
You can see Alberto's team in action via mini movies on the Internet. They were out in the desolate heart of West Antarctica, supported by the ever-efficient logistics of the National Science Foundation. The team brought drills and lots of fiber optic cables.
Alberto Behar
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
NASA / Caltech
When we are about 100 meters off the bottom then we can connect up and start to receive live video. I tell you there was a lot of cheering the first time we put this together, sent it down, and then flipped the switch. As soon as we turned it on, at first it was a bit murky, but as soon as we saw the first rocks and layers there was a great deal of cheering and happiness in the room... in the tent, I should say.
Websites
• JPL Antarctic Ice Borehole Probe
Information, images and movies about the Antarctic Ice Borehole Probe Project.
• Ice Probe Reveals First-ever Images Deep Within Antarctic Streams
An article on the Antarctic Ice Borehole Probe Project which studied what goes on deep within ice caps.
