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Title: Who goes there? Post by: Korachia on February 04, 2012, 03:59:34 PM Very interesting article about exploration of a subglacial lake.. and a radio silent Russian polar-research team!
Quote World holds its breath for Russian scientists drilling in Antarctic - as they try to find 'alien' underground lake before Tuesday 'date of no return' The scientific community is holding its breath for a team of Russian scientists that has been out of contact with colleagues in the U.S for six days, as they drill into a lake buried beneath the Antarctic ice for 20 million years. They have to evacuate their station by Tuesday - when winter proper kicks in and temperatures start to drop to an inhospitable minus 90C. The scientists are currently battling conditions of up to minus 66C at Lake Vostok as they raced to drill into a lake buried two miles beneath the ice before the weather closed in. They were hoping water in the lake, the most inhospitable region of the planet, would reveal more about ancient life on our planet - but they have fallen silent just days before the deadly winter is due to begin. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2095193/Lake-Vostok-Russian-scientists-drilling-alien-Antarctic-lake-buried-20m-years.html (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2095193/Lake-Vostok-Russian-scientists-drilling-alien-Antarctic-lake-buried-20m-years.html) Title: Re: Who goes there? Post by: MuffinMan on February 04, 2012, 04:09:45 PM :cthulu:
Title: Re: Who goes there? Post by: Lakov_Sanite on February 04, 2012, 04:47:39 PM They dug too deep...
Title: Re: Who goes there? Post by: 01101010 on February 04, 2012, 05:17:21 PM I take it they didn't read The Mountains of Madness.
Title: Re: Who goes there? Post by: Murgos on February 04, 2012, 06:19:13 PM For some reason the classic movie The Thing comes to mind...
Title: Re: Who goes there? Post by: schild on February 04, 2012, 10:15:48 PM As opposed to the 2011 remake?
I feel like the phrase "classic movie" was a bit unnecessary there. At least I hope everyone here knows The Thing. Title: Re: Who goes there? Post by: Ironwood on February 05, 2012, 12:13:59 AM Know it ? I married it.
Title: Re: Who goes there? Post by: ghost on February 05, 2012, 05:26:18 AM I love the box that has "keep frozen" written on it.
Title: Re: Who goes there? Post by: cironian on February 05, 2012, 05:53:47 AM I love the box that has "keep frozen" written on it. If I was there, I'd totally add three exclamation marks and a big skull icon to that one. Title: Re: Who goes there? Post by: pants on February 05, 2012, 01:39:38 PM "They have to evacuate their station by Tuesday - when winter proper kicks in and temperatures start to drop to an inhospitable minus 90C."
Wut? Its February - its still summer. I realise its a Daily Mail story, and in comparison to reviving ancient evils from under the ice getting the weather right is a minor detail, but really. Title: Re: Who goes there? Post by: Ghambit on February 05, 2012, 04:56:31 PM Also, when did Winter suddenly have a drop dead date? If they've got the weather, they can leave... simple as that.
Good way to gain some publicity for the team though. Title: Re: Who goes there? Post by: Sky on February 06, 2012, 09:39:39 AM I hope everyone here knows The Thing. (http://i1.sndcdn.com/avatars-000001048550-3rpuin-crop.jpg?89b97f7)Title: Re: Who goes there? Post by: Yegolev on February 06, 2012, 09:43:57 AM (http://www.imfdb.org/w/images/e/e2/Macready.jpg)
Title: Re: Who goes there? Post by: 01101010 on February 06, 2012, 09:50:21 AM (http://www.imfdb.org/w/images/e/e2/Macready.jpg) I can't think of a movie I did not like with Kurt in it. Me and my man-crush. Title: Re: Who goes there? Post by: Yegolev on February 06, 2012, 10:09:30 AM Escape from L.A.?
Title: Re: Who goes there? Post by: Ghambit on February 06, 2012, 10:13:16 AM (http://fc00.deviantart.net/fs9/i/2006/062/f/6/AVP_SCENE_by_Avp_lord.jpg)
Title: Re: Who goes there? Post by: DraconianOne on February 06, 2012, 01:29:53 PM That link is to the Daily Mail. Knowing them, they read "Deception Point" by Dan Brown and decided it would make a decent story.
Title: Re: Who goes there? Post by: Yegolev on February 06, 2012, 01:49:49 PM We are now talking about Kurt Russell or John Carpenter.
Title: Re: Who goes there? Post by: 01101010 on February 06, 2012, 02:34:39 PM Seems they breached it
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/02/lake-vostok-drilled/ Title: Re: Who goes there? Post by: ghost on February 07, 2012, 11:51:54 AM So these lakes were formed back in the days of global warming? :oh_i_see:
Title: Re: Who goes there? Post by: Ghambit on February 07, 2012, 12:19:06 PM This is the kind of thing that if I were project lead I'd lease out ROV time to richfolk with money to burn. Let them do the exploration and pay for it whilst I sat drinking hot rum-apple cider in a wunzy. Anyways, next year we'll get the swimming robots down there (probably the prototype for the proposed Europa mission actually; the designer has been testing for such a thing the past few yrs).
Even if they find nothing, the fact they can test a spaceborn probe terrestrially is a huge advantage for a later mission to Europa or Enceladus. Title: Re: Who goes there? Post by: pxib on February 08, 2012, 12:49:19 PM So these lakes were formed back in the days of global warming? :oh_i_see: Nope, they're formed by pressure. Unlike most other substances, water is less dense as a solid than as a liquid. That's why ice floats. So adding pressure tends to liquidfy it, which is why ice is slippery: your weight (especially if you focus it by wearing skate blades) melts a bit of ice and creates a layer of liquid which drops friction.The weight of a mile of ice creates a larger layer than that. Title: Re: Who goes there? Post by: Cyrrex on February 09, 2012, 01:28:50 AM So what you are saying is that the scientist are down there Ice Skating.
Title: Re: Who goes there? Post by: Sky on February 09, 2012, 07:17:26 AM SCIENCE!
(http://blogs.buffalonews.com/.a/6a00d83451b85a69e2012877b5bfca970c-800wi) Title: Re: Who goes there? Post by: Johny Cee on February 09, 2012, 09:30:56 AM :uhrr:
I have "She Blinded Me with Science" stuck in my head now. Title: Re: Who goes there? Post by: Ghambit on February 09, 2012, 09:32:55 AM So these lakes were formed back in the days of global warming? :oh_i_see: Nope, they're formed by pressure. Unlike most other substances, water is less dense as a solid than as a liquid. That's why ice floats. So adding pressure tends to liquidfy it, which is why ice is slippery: your weight (especially if you focus it by wearing skate blades) melts a bit of ice and creates a layer of liquid which drops friction.The weight of a mile of ice creates a larger layer than that. They're saying this particular lake was formed when Antarctica was in Australia's location. The pressure merely maintained it in a liquid state. 'Course, it coulda dried out back then filled in with ice/snow and then liquified later. Regardless though, it's some damned old water. |