Russian scientists have drilled into the vast, dark and never-before-touched Lake Vostok 2.2 miles below the surface of Antarctica, according to a source quoted Monday by Ria Novosti, a state-run Russian news agency.
“Yesterday, our scientists stopped drilling at the depth of 3,768 meters and reached the surface of the subglacial lake,” the source was quoted as saying. The news agency described the source as saying the team had “finally managed to pierce” the ice sheet into Vostok.
It has taken the Russians more than 20 years to drill into the lake, operating in some of the most brutal weather conditions in the world. Their reported accomplishment comes just as the Antarctic summer ends at Vostok, and the cold becomes so great that machinery can’t be operated and airplanes can’t come in or out of the area.