Life in the "Valley of the Dead?"

After a scenic helicopter flight across McMurdo Sound, and up the Taylor Valley, our crew landed at Lake Fryxell to set up camp. The lake is covered in about 12 feet of ice (which we drilled through 4 separate times) and is surrounded by mountain peaks, scouring glaciers, and an impressive desert landscape.



Ironically, Antarctica contains around 70% of the world's fresh water supply, and at the same time, it is the driest continent on the planet! With nearly all fresh water in a frozen state, parts of the continent have accumulated ice roughly 10,000 feet in thickness!

However, thanks to the Transantarctic Mountains, the Dry Valleys are shielded and isolated from the East Antarctic Ice Sheet - creating a relatively "ice-free" region of exposed rocks and soils. With its incomparable harsh winds and cold, dry climate (<10cm snowfall/year), the Dry Valleys are regarded as one of the most extreme environments on the planet!


Our research team will be investigating changes in microbial life throughout permanently frozen-over lakes in the Dry Valleys. As the weather warms, glaciers begin melting, streams begin flowing, and lakes are replenished with nutrients and minerals. Any slight climatic and/or physical changes within the Dry Valleys can result in magnified changes within the lakes. Unlike ecosystems in higher latitudes, minute climactic change can greatly effect these sensitive southerly environments. This cause and effect phenomenon is referred to as "Polar Amplification."


Once out on the lake, the ice varies in topography: along the shoreline, it is completely smooth and transparent, but, once venturing out further, the ice becomes jagged and morphed into a bizarre, transformed landscape (making travel on the ATV much more adventurous).


After a few days of drilling, melting, and mechanical breakdowns, our crew spent over 15 hours straight collecting and filtering our water samples. Here is a photo of the Lake Fryxell camp where lab analysis takes place:


Its not often you find yourself cruising down a frozen lake on a 6-wheeler to collect glacier ice (our fresh water supply) for a spaghetti dinner. Nor do you expect to be hiking across a windblown desert at midnight with the sun overhead - encountering an occasional mummified seal in your path. There is simply no other place on the planet with such a unique and unearthly environment!


If you have any questions regarding research, this blog, or Antarctica in general, feel free to ask! I'll soon be posting again.