Lake Whillans stands at the forefront of an icy competition unfolding in Antarctica. This friendly rivalry is a quest for deeper insight into the secrets held by the liquid lakes hiding beneath the Antarctic ice, delving into the mysteries of life within them and their impact on the movement of ice streams. A trio of nations is engaged in this scientific race: Russian researchers seek out Lake Vostok, British scientists aim for Lake Ellsworth and the United States focuses its efforts on Lake Whillans. Unlike its counterparts, Lake Whillans lies just half a mile beneath the ice, offering the U.S. a unique advantage in its pursuit of scientific discovery. Nestled near the eastern edge of the Ross Ice Shelf, Lake Whillans is smaller in comparison to the vast Lake Vostok, approximately the size of Lake Ontario. This size difference fuels the United States’ optimism in successfully breaching the icy barrier to access the liquid water beneath for measurements and sampling. The ambitious endeavor, known as the Whillans Ice Stream Subglacial Access Research Drilling (WISSARD) Project, involved the arduous transportation of equipment over 628 miles of icy terrain from McMurdo Station to the drilling site in early January 2013. Massive tractors laboriously traversed the expanse, pulling sleds laden with scientific equipment to the designated location. Research team members prepared to inhabit specialized tents at the drilling site for the brief Antarctic summer season. Comprising researchers from eight American universities and two international institutions, the team harbors various goals they aspire to achieve. One key aim is the examination of water samples believed to have been isolated from surface contaminants for millions of years, unveiling their chemical composition and potential presence of microorganisms in the frigid, lightless environment.
Additionally, the team seeks to investigate the ingress and egress of water within the lake. Antarctica is home to nearly 400 subglacial lakes, with speculation suggesting that the immense pressure from the ice above raises the temperature of the underlying ice to its melting point. Geothermal elements likely further uphold the existence of liquid water.
Moreover, many of these lakes cyclically ‘flood,’ aiding the movement of the ice streams above them. The associated Whillans Ice Stream, positioned above Lake Whillans, ranks among the swifter-moving ‘rivers of ice,’ shifting around 18 inches in half an hour before pausing for 12 hours and then resuming the pattern. The exploration plan mapped out for Lake Whillans reflects ambitious intentions: upon the emergence of liquid water through the hot-water-powered drill, a remote-controlled submersible, measuring around two-and-a-half feet in length, will descend into the lake. Tethered to the surface, the submersible is poised to extract water and sediment samples, conduct lake mapping, and pinpoint inlets and outlets. Comprehending the water flow beneath the ice is a pivotal aspect in deciphering the motions of the ice streams above. Scholars speculate the presence of an under-ice network of conduits directing water from one lake to the next. Such revelations hold promise in enhancing comprehension surrounding the varied shifts observed across the Antarctic Ice Shelf. A thorough analysis of any potential microbial life detected in the water offers invaluable scientific insights into possible findings within our solar system’s suspected subsurface water bodies of distant planets and moons. Though Russian scientists recently achieved a breakthrough by accessing the pristine waters of Lake Vostok after years of drilling, Great Britain encountered setbacks halting their progress towards Lake Ellsworth in the 2013 season. Irrespective of the success or setbacks experienced by these nations, the combined knowledge stemming from their endeavors will contribute substantially to the scientific community’s understanding of one of Earth’s harshest realms, previously uncharted and ripe for exploration. Lake Whillans, nestled beneath the icy expanse, is unlikely to transform into a tourist attraction, with the surface above indistinguishable from surrounding Antarctic landscapes of ice ridges and streams. Enduring inhospitable conditions even during the brief Antarctic summer, Lake Whillans embodies an enigmatic frontier holding promise for space exploration, climate prognostication, and perhaps future sea level changes. Anticipation mounts as humanity awaits the forthcoming revelations from this mission to unveil one of the planet’s final frontiers. Global eyes turn towards the expedition, heralding an era of newfound knowledge and discovery.*Lake Whillans awaits its statistical unveiling through the WISSARD expedition. This recount transpired in January 2013, with updates eagerly anticipated in the days to come.