Life has been discovered beneath Antarctica’s frozen Lake Enigma, revealing a hidden world with diverse living organisms. Researchers have found evidence of liquid water and microbiotic life in the harsh conditions of the lake.
Lake Enigma is located between the Amorphous and Boulder Clay glaciers in Antarctica. The lake is covered by a thick layer of ice, with some areas reaching up to 36 feet deep.
Experts had previously believed that Lake Enigma was completely frozen and inhospitable to life due to its frigid temperatures, which can drop as low as -41 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter months.
However, new evidence suggests that at least some microbiotic life can exist even in such harsh conditions. Researchers led by the National Research Council of Italy’s Institute of Polar Sciences identified unicellular organisms during the “XXXV Italian Expedition to Antarctica” from November 2019-January 2020.
Ground-penetrating radar scans indicated the presence of liquid water underneath ice caps ranging between roughly 11 and 36 feet deep. Below these icy blocks were layers of stratified water columns at least 39 feet deep.
Researchers used a custom-made thermal melt head drilling system to extract water samples without contaminating them. The system allowed for the collection of water samples from different depths, including the surface ice, stratified water column layers, and microbial mats.
Subsequent lab tests confirmed a total of 21 bacterial and eukaryotic phyla in Lake Enigma’s surface ice, stratified water column layers, and microbial mats. The most surprising find was a “proliferation of the bacteria superphylum Patescibacteria.”
The team theorizes that an ancient Lake Enigma once possibly hosted a wholly different ecosystem filled with a diverse array of living organisms. However, at some point in the past, the body of water formed a permanently frozen top layer that remains to this day.
Although more research is needed to fully understand the ecosystem of Lake Enigma, the discovery highlights the possibility of life existing even in extreme environments.
