On 5 February 2012, a Russian drill team at Vostok Station in Antarctica found a hidden lake. This lake, called Lake Vostok, is very large and deep, sitting beneath thick ice for millions of years. When the drill reached the lake, water rushed up like a geyser and froze quickly.
Scientists later found DNA in the ice. This DNA came from tiny life forms that had lived in complete darkness for millions of years. Lake Vostok is located under the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, and the temperature above is extremely cold. The lake has been cut off from the outside world for about 15 million years.
Before the discovery, pilots saw a flat area of ice in the 1960s. In 1996, scientists used special tools to confirm the lake’s size and location. It is the largest of many lakes hidden under Antarctica.
The drilling process started in 1989. Scientists worked carefully to prevent contamination. When the drill finally broke into the lake, it brought small life forms to the surface. Researchers believe these findings can help us understand life in other places, like on moons in space.
