Silence shrouds Antarctic dig (Still No Contact From Russian Scientists at Lake Vostok Site)

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | February 5, 2012

[PJ-Comix]

A TEAM of Russian scientists has gone quiet as they race against winter to uncover an ancient Antarctic lake.

The group from Russia's Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI) have been drilling for weeks in an effort to reach isolated Lake Vostok, a vast, dark body of water hidden 4000m below the surface of the continent. Lake Vostok has not been exposed to air in more than 20 million years.

The team's last contact with colleagues in the outside world was six days ago, and scientists from around the globe are unsure of the fate of the mission - and the scientists themselves - as Antarctica's deadly winter draws near.

[bitterohiogunclinger]

2.4 miles is deep, not quite 25 miles though.

[PJ-Comix]

I just checked the WeatherUnderground site and this is their ominous statement in red:

Updated 3 hr 20 min 45 sec ago - This station is not reporting!

[UCANSEE2]

I can’t help but thinking of that sound from the remake of “ The Thing”

Make fun , if you wish, but remember that they not only discovered a HUGE underground lake, but there is also a LARGE MAGNETIC ANOMALY right below that entire area.

[Ironfocus]

This year, due to global warming/climate change, the temperature rose by 40 degrees and they had to swim out.

[Izzy Dunne]

as Antarctica's deadly winter draws near.

Uhhh, doesn't winter start on June 21?

[aruanan]

I'm thinking that the most realistic theory so far presented is that they drilled through to the under the ice lake and the water pressure sent a tower of water up that covered the scientists and froze them like human Popsicles.

The first thought I had was of some out-gassing episode, such as what happened at a couple of lakes in Africa. If a lake is isolated from the atmosphere that long, there could be a huge amount of CO2 dissolved in the water from subterranean sources. Remove the pressure and pop goes the CO2 and everyone is asphyxiated and then frozen like human Popsicles.

[dljordan]

“but there is also a LARGE MAGNETIC ANOMALY right below that entire area.”

That’s probably why they’re interested.

[PJ-Comix]

Isn’t there some orbiting satellite that can bring us photos of the Lake Vostok area? Perhaps we can see if there was flooding and subsequent freezing there.

[TribalPrincess2U]

Don’t you hate when that happens?

[aruanan]

I'm thinking that the most realistic theory so far presented is that they drilled through to the under the ice lake and the water pressure sent a tower of water up that covered the scientists and froze them like human Popsicles.

For instance, CO2 in Lake Nyos and methane in Lake Tanganyika.

[UCANSEE2]

Everything links this story to THE THING (the new version, the older version (with Kurt Russell) , the Older,older version, and the original book story “WHO GOES THERE”.

None of this is really correct. There was a movie, although I don’t remember the name of it at this time, that depicted scientists who were drilling into an underground lake at Vostok, and who released some unknown germ/life form. Several scientists had gotten stuck at the station due to the weather because one scientist had gotten very sick and could not be transported out.

The Russian scientists (the real ones) have been working on this dig for a long time, and there has always been a sort of secrecy going on with it, and there is a HUGE MAGNETIC ANOMALY associated with that area, as well as the underground lake. There were stories about it here on FR years ago.

[DManA]

Wouldn’t you love it if FR allowed you to edit posts after you click the Post button?

[UCANSEE2]

Or unleash some long dormant disease.

So... you saw that movie too? What was the name. And it wasn't the "THE THING" movies.

[aruanan]

Check out the part regarding Lake Vostok HERE

[cripplecreek]

Its entirely possible that they’re fine but have lost communications for some reason. They could be making their way back to civilization as we speak.

Its odd to realize that there are still places on the surface of the earth that we can’t get to easily.

[DManA]

How about this idea? Another post talked about a “large magnetic anomaly” that and the fact that there’s liquid water there tells me there is magma down there. Where there’s magma there are gasses.

They opened up a hole and suffocating gasses came out and killed them in seconds.

[KoRn]

Sounds like the plot of a horror movie.

I’m guessing the expedition has been wiped out by now.

[sodpoodle]

****Wouldn’t you love it if FR allowed you to edit posts after you click the Post button?****

That would take all the fun out of FR for the ‘perfessers’

LOL!!!!

(p.s. when I post brilliant logic - the responses are quite sparse;)

[prisoner6]

Yup. Temps are starting to drop and they will drop quickly. One of the best sites for info on the Antarctic is A-Net Station run by what appears to be an old European,hippie guy, George Maat. ( I wanted to find the pic of him standing outside in his underwear at 40 below but this will have to do.

That means he carries all the European, enviro-whacko views of things but I'll give him credit for setting up one of the very first web based radio stations and blogs. He's provided a lot of info over the years.

On his page there are "live" pics from the South Pole although you have to search around a bit to get the exact one I'm thinking of. His site is not surprisingly a bit cluttered and confusing. Maybe it's the cold or maybe too much hippieness, I don't know.

Here's a link to one of the "live" shots on his page.

[W. W. SMITH]

Eventually someone is going to drill a hole through something and tap into the innards of an intergalactic space cruiser.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

I have had the same thought for decades. I fear that if I where financially well of, I would be known as that crazy old man who drills holes looking for one.