In what experts say could be "fodder for a great made-for-TV movie," a team of Russian scientists could be lost somewhere in the middle of Antarctica.
The team, on a mission to find an underground lake buried deep beneath Antarctica's ice sheet, hasn't made contact with colleagues for more than five days, according to Fox News. Lake Vostok is believed to be buried more than 13,000 feet under the ice, its waters left unexposed to air for more than 20 million years. The Russians are facing harsh weather--temperatures near the lake have dipped below -40 in recent days.
Scientists say the lake could hold interesting life forms. "This is a lake that we don't think has been exposed for 15 million years. Therefore, if there is life there, we're going to have so many questions. How has it evolved over those years, how has it survived, what does it look like?" Alan Rodger, who works at the British Anarctic Survey, told Fox News last year. Scientists have been working on exposing Lake Vostok since 1998, but because the lake is beneath so much ice, progress has been slow.
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jkoebler@usnews.com
Twitter: @jason_koebler
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Nate Freeman of VT 5:54PM February 05, 2012