Scientists Make Surprising Discovery Deep Beneath Antarctic Ice Sheet

A National Science Foundation-funded team of researchers has made a surprising discovery 2400 feet beneath the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica...fish, invertebrates living and thriving in the brutally cold and perpetually dark waters beneath the ice so far away from the open ocean. The team says the discovery opens new questions about the ability of life to thrive in extreme environments.

The Whillans Ice Stream Subglacial Access Research Drilling or WISSARD Team for the first time ever, drilled down to the “grounding zone”, 530 miles from the edge of the Ross Sea...where Antarctic ice, land and sea all converge. The team used a specially designed hot water drill to bore through a half mile of ice, working around the clock to collect sediment samples. While the borehole remained open, the team deployed a remotely operated vehicle or ROV called Deep SCINI into the hole. Developed at Northern Illinois University, the ROV was fitted with a number of oceanographic instruments, including a downward looking camera to record data.

The grounding zone is extremely important for the stability of the ice shelf and studying core samples from this remote area will provide scientists with clues about the mechanics of ice sheets, future changes in climate, and sea-level rise.

[fandomsmoothie]

Friendly reminder that more than 95% of sea life is still unknown.

[Afrocanuk]

It's high time we got through the ice shell on Jupiter's moon Europa. Stop wasting time on Mars.

[ammelr]

Having it narrated in a monotone was a nice touch.

[NeWx]

An alien world on earth! Let's hope something similar is underneath the ice of the moon europa.

[MikeGreenwood]

2, 300ft = 766.6 yards (Imperial). 701.04 meters (Divide feet by 3.281).
1ft = 0.333 yards = 0.3048 meters.
10ft = 3.33 yards = 3.048 meters.
100ft = 33.333 yards = 30.48 meters.
1, 000ft = 333.33 yards = 304.8 meters. Just over a third of a kilometer.
10, 000ft = 3, 333.33 yards = 3048 meters. Just over 3 kilometers.

[xevious]

we constantly assume levels of survival based on our own physical abilities to coup with extremes. We fail to accept that what may be extremes for us due to our physical bodies existing in such conditions, ultimately isnt extremes for other creatures who's evolution or sheer existence began in other extremes and is not an issue for them. I believe creatures beyond our understanding live in extremes such as fire, molten lava, great pressures. even the dead of space. or in gas nebula's. creature that may not even be seen, or to our eyes may not display any form of life that we would comprehend. a rock or an asteroid. why not? who are we to define life? when we did not create life? nor do we understand exactly what life is. name a scientist that can define the essence of what makes flesh a living things versus the same flesh if its defined as dead. whats the bridge between the two states of being? indeed science has not defined what life is. So for me when everyone is trying to find life, im acknowledging that life is everywhere. in fact is so abundance your seeing it all the time even in the depths of space, but not understanding life and all its forms.

[jch]

Is this a sealed environment? If so, what steps were taken to prevent contamination?

[jeffv]

21st century and they are still using point and shoot forward cameras, there is 360 degree cameras now people why aren't these scientist utilizing that tech? i want to be able to look around that environment not just one direction or where they decide where they want to point and record.

[MARINVIEW]

There is no extreme environment the place is home for those creatures and we the humans we invented the word "extremophiles"