Lake Ellsworth

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This article is about the subglacial lake in Antarctica. For the lake of the same name in Oklahoma, see Lake Ellsworth (Oklahoma).
Lake Ellsworth
Location West Antarctica
Coordinates 79° S 91° WCoordinates: 79° S 91° W
Lake type subglacial
Basin countries (Antarctica)
Max. depth >10 m (est.)

Lake Ellsworth is a subglacial lake located in West Antarctica under approximately 3.4 km of ice. It is approximately 10 km long and is estimated to be tens of meters in depth.[1] It is strongly considered as a site for direct exploration due to the possibility that it may harbor unique life forms as well as its relatively easy accessibility.[2] The lake is named for the American explorer Lincoln Ellsworth.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Siegert et al., "Subglacial Lake Ellsworth: A candidate for in situ exploration in West Antarctica" Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 31, L23403, doi:10.1029/2004GL021477, 2004
  2. ^ Siegert, Martin J. and the Lake Ellsworth Consortium, "Exploration of Subglacial Lake Ellsworth", Poster, University of Bristol, September 2004

[edit] External links

  1. Antarctic lake may hold life clue
  2. The Exploration of Subglacial Lake Ellsworth
  3. Siegert et al., "Subglacial Lake Ellsworth: A candidate for in situ exploration in West Antarctica"PDF (279 KiB)
  4. Siegert Poster, "Exploration of Subglacial Lake Ellsworth"PDF (340 KiB)