Volcanic theory on Antarctic lake

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33155, 20 February 1973, Page 2

Volcanic theory on Antarctic lake

A Russian microbiologist believes that the reason for the unusually warm temperatures at the bottom of Lake Vanda in the Wright Valley of Antarctica is volcanic activity.

Professor A. E. Kriss, the head of the Institute of Microbiology of the U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences, said in Christchurch yesterday that this was the conclusion he had reached after making investigations there during the last month. In recent years many scientists had attempted to. discover the secret of the

lake, which is covered with ice the year round, but gets progressively warmer towards the lake floor. Some have suggested that solar radiation is the cause of 'this, but Professor Kriss said that it would probably take many millions of years for the brief rays of the ■ summer sun to reach the floor of the lake. Also, this theory did not explain why the temperature on the lake floor was 25deg. to 27deg. while just below the ice it ranged from zero to 8 or lOdeg. Between these was a thermal layer where the temperature : varied between 10 and 16deg. Professor Kriss said he had! ■ studied the problem fromI the microbiologist’s point of | view. An area of the lake' Shad been selected at its; greatest depth, and within one kilometre six holes had been made in the ice, from which samples had been (taken at various levels from: ithe surface to the lake floor.! In some lakes it had been' found that micro-organisms could help raise water temperatures. However, microorganisms in Lake Vanda were much fewer than he had (expected, and the only other] i reason for the high concen-! Itration of hydrogen sulphide '(three times as concentrated as at the bottom of the Black j Sea) could be volcanic action. | Professor Kriss spent four ( days at the Amundsen-Scotti South Pole Station, where he investigated bacteria in snow; [ samples taken seven I ikilometres from the station.; ißecause of the altitude he! [found the work hard for a [man of 65. In 1954 he worked on a [drifting ice station which: (eventually came to the! [geographic North Pole.; [There, Professor Kriss; studied the bacterial content I of the snow'. There was] .significantly less bacterial (content in the samples from; [the South Pole than in those; from the North Pole,; i although it had to be remem-[ bered that the North Pole [was much closer to the populated areas of the; world. Professor Kriss said he was [ the third man to step out on; (to both poles, but the first! [scientist to work at both. He said he had been very; well looked after by the New] [ Zealanders at Scott Base and at Vanda Station. He also; admitted that until he talked with the superintendent of the Antarctic Division of the D.S.I.R. (Mr R. B, Thomson)

last March he had no knowledge of the unique character of Lake Vanda.