This week, a Russian team drilling into Lake Vostok in the center of the Antarctic continent is likely to break through the ice to water. It will be the first time that a subglacial lake has been breached. These modern-day explorers hope to discover whether Vostok, which at 5000 km 3 is the third largest lake on the planet, is teeming with hidden, cold-loving life that could have evolved separately from the rest of the world for hundreds of thousands of years.

Microbiologist John Priscu of Montana State University in Bozeman, who was one of the original planners of the Vostok mission, has been getting regular updates from the Russian team. As of 13 January, they had reached a depth of 3737.5 meters, about 15 meters away from liquid water. With three teams drilling around the clock and making progress at an average of 2 meters per day, Priscu says they're on track to break through within the week. "This is an epic event. I really wish them luck," he says. "I wish I was out there with them."

After drilling 3720 meters last February, time ran out for the team and the project was stymied just 29.5 meters from its destination as winter set in. Over the summer, they modified their drill bits and now the team is back at work with plenty of time to spare. They had left the large hole filled with antifreeze, so it was ready and waiting for them. It will remain open for years to come, Priscu says, potentially allowing other teams to sample the waters in the future.

It's a nerve-wracking moment for the drillers, however. The lake water is under immense pressure, making it imperative that the team's calculations are correct. In the worst case scenario, Priscu says, "water could come up the hole and degas explosively, blowing out the whole borehole."

[link to news.sciencemag.org]

Obviously, this is uncharted territory, a first for mankind.
sounds like many things could go wrong. I wish them all the best!

This is incredible news! For 14 millian years it has been sealed under the ice. If life exists in Lake Vostok it will further the evidence that life can exist elsewhere in the cosmos, such as Jupiter's moon Europa and beyond.

If the Russians stay on schedule, they should breach the lake by tomorrow!

I can't wait to hear about their findings.

RazorX