Science & Environment

Unique microbial communities found beneath frozen floor of Antarctica’s Lake Enigma

12/05/2024

Investigation space, the Lake Enigma ice thickness and positioning of drilling factors carried out. Ice thickness factors had been interpolated by kriging technique (linear variogram). Base map Geoeye−1 mosaic picture (Data offered by the European Space Agency). Coordinates are reported in UTM58S projection (WGS84). Credit: *Communications Earth & Environment* (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s43247-024-01842-5

Researchers find microbiota living in water below frozen surface of Antarctica's Lake Enigma — Investigation space, the Lake Enigma ice thickness and positioning of drilling factors carried out. Ice thickness factors had been interpolated by kriging technique (linear variogram). Base map Geoeye−1 mosaic picture (Data offered by the European Space Agency). Coordinates are reported in UTM58S projection (WGS84). Credit: *Communications Earth & Environment* (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s43247-024-01842-5

An worldwide group of polar researchers has discovered a number of kinds of microbiota dwelling within the water under the frozen floor of Antarctica’s Lake Enigma. In their examine, printed within the journal Communications Earth & Environment, group members ventured to the lake. Using ground-penetrating radar, they discovered that there was water deep under its frozen floor, and drilled into the lake to acquire water samples for testing.

For a few years, Lake Enigma was believed to be utterly frozen—it was fashioned throughout a interval when hotter temperatures prevailed. The assumption appeared logical; common temperatures within the space are simply -14°C and the bottom temperatures in winter can attain -40.7°C. The lake is located between two glaciers, Amorphous and Boulder Clay, suggesting they could have been the supply of the water and ice within the lake.

In this new effort, the analysis group traveled to the lake over two summers in 2019 and 2020. They first performed experiments utilizing ground-penetrating radar and located proof of water roughly 11 meters under the floor; the water depth was roughly 12 meters at its deepest. Intrigued by their discovering, the group collected samples from the lake utilizing drilling methods permitting for water extraction with out contaminating samples. They then introduced the samples again to their lab for testing.

They discovered a number of examples of microbiota, together with Pseudomonadota, Actinobacteriota and Bacteroidota. Perhaps extra stunning, they discovered a proliferation of the micro organism superphylum Patescibacteria. Such micro organism are very simple—they’ve small cells and a small genome, and their cells can solely perform a restricted variety of processes.

The researchers recommend that the lake seemingly as soon as teemed with dwelling issues earlier than its high froze over completely. The species alive at this time have to be the descendants of those that by some means managed to outlive. The researchers additionally famous that the lake ought to have dried up within the desert-like circumstances way back. The undeniable fact that it has not suggests it has an unknown water supply.

More info:
Francesco Smedile et al, The perennially ice-covered Lake Enigma, Antarctica helps distinctive microbial communities, Communications Earth & Environment (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s43247-024-01842-5

Citation:
Unique microbial communities found beneath frozen floor of Antarctica’s Lake Enigma (2024, December 4)
retrieved 5 December 2024
from https://phys.org/information/2024-12-unique-microbial-communities-beneath-frozen.html

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