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In one lake deep under Antarctica’s ice, microbes feast on ancient carbon

The find could help scientists better predict the continent’s future as the climate warms

A photo looking into a drill hole in West Antarctica. White ice is seen on the edges of the frame which turns into a gradient of light blue to dark blue in the center circle of the image.

Scientists used a special hot-water drill to carve this hole through a kilometer of ice to reach the buried Lake Mercer in West Antarctica.

Billy Collins

By Freda Kreier

How microbes survive in lakes far beneath Antarctica’s ice sheet has been a mystery. Now scientists have figured out what’s on the menu for microbes in one buried lake in West Antarctica.