On Mon, 11 Aug 2003 15:34:22 -0400, Andrew Yee wrote:
Kathleen Burton
NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. August 11, 2003
Phone: 650/604-1731 or 604-9000
Email:

RELEASE: 03-57AR

RESEARCHERS FIND ANTARCTIC LAKE WATER WILL FIZZ LIKE A SODA
[. . .]
A team of scientists that recently investigated the levels of
dissolved gases in the remote Antarctic lake found the concentrations
of gas in the lake water were much higher than expected, measuring
2.65 quarts (2.5 liters) of nitrogen and oxygen per 2.2 pounds (1
kilogram) of water. According to scientists, this high ratio of
gases trapped under the ice will cause a gas-driven "fizz" when the
water is released.
[. . .]

Strange. Wonder if this results from gas being delivered by bubbles
trapped in the glacial ice to the ceiling of the lake, which then dissolve
when the ice melts on the upstream end of the ceiling. The pressure
required to drive atmospheric gases into clathrates on the downstream end
of the ceiling would be much higher than atmospheric. Note that since
high oxygen concentrations were found, microbial activity and geological
supply of reducing substances to the lake must be less than the rate of
delivery of oxygen through the ice.

One question: I had not heard of a drilling breakthrough up to this
point -- does this measurement mean that someone finally stuck a drill bit
through, or are these measurements of ice from the downstream end of the
lake ceiling?

--
Lucius Chiaraviglio
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