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Have you ever wondered
what it would be like to explore
one of Jupiter's moons
without ever leaving Earth?
Or what would happen to your body
under a monstrous amount
of pressure like this?
If you are determined to do both
then your best bet
would be to plunge into Lake Vostok,
in Antarctica.
But first,
you'll need to drill through 4 km (2.5 mi)
of thick ice just to get
to this unworldly ecosystem.
And its weight
squeezes the water with 350 times
the atmospheric pressure at sea level.
What would happen
if you dive into this freezing lake?
Before trying on your new dry suit,
there are a few things you'll need to know.
This Antarctic lake's environment
has similar characteristics to
Jupiter's moon, Europa.
And, diving into its water
would be the closest you can get
to being in outer space
while you're still on Earth.
Pretty exciting, isn't it?
Also, this body of water
is 15 million years old.
So whatever you'd find under there,
keep in mind, would be pristine and, ancient,
so you'd need to be careful
not to damage anything.
Alright, ready? Let's go.
Here you are,
surrounded by a team of scientists,
mechanics, engineers, cooks,
and field assistant
at the Vostok Russian Station
near the South Pole.
There's ice as far as you can see.
It's easy to think that
you're standing on Jupiter's moon, Europa.
Fortunately, the temperature here
might only be around -89 °C (-192 °F)
but on Europa
it would never rise above -160 °C (-260 °F).
"Cold cold cold cold."
Ok, first of all,
you'd need to break through the ice,
all 3.7 km (2 mi) of it.
Ask the scientists
where to drill the access hole.
The lake,
first spotted in 1960 by a Russian pilot,
is huge.
It's smaller than Canada's Lake Ontario,
but it's one of the largest subglacial lakes
in the world.
And, one end of Lake Vostok is
shallower than the other.
So you'd want to explore the deep end,
where there could be more to find.
Ok, great, you found the perfect spot.
Now, let's do this.
Eeh , you might wanna ask the engineers
if they have something more efficient.
Now that the hole is ready
and you have your dry suit on,
what else would you need?
Well, how about a submarine
to withstand the pressures of this
deep underwater environment,
like the one that James Cameron used
in the Mariana Trench?
Yeah, this is probably a great idea.
Your body
wouldn't be able to handle that
kind of pressure.
But, if there is life, in lake Vostok,
how does it survive the immense pressure?
We'll come back to that a bit later.
You know what else you'll need?
Yeah, a light.
You're going several kilometers
under the ice, so,
there's no light down there.
Ok, now, you're descending
into Lake Vostok.
The ice around you is
different from what you're used to seeing.
It's bluish
because the crystalline structure
of dense ice
absorbs every color of the spectrum
except blue.
There are 3,500 kinds of DNA in this ice.
And, after collecting some ice samples
just above the dome,
scientists sequenced
all the genetic material at once.
It revealed the presence of microbes,
gases and nutrients.
These are signatures of biological activity.
Advanced analytical technique
revealed 3,500 new organisms
trapped in the ice.
That's good news for you.
You're likely going to see something.
When you would finally reach the water,
it's only -3 °C (27 °F).
But it doesn't freeze
because of the pressure of the ice above it.
Now remember to turn on the light.
You're about to discover
a unique ecosystem
that might use minerals present in the lake
and sources from the underlying bedrock
instead of the Sun's energy.
That's pretty special.
Fungi and single-celled organisms
surround you.
And as you move deeper into the lake,
you start to feel warmer.
The water is heating up.
Geothermal heat
is coming from the Earth.
Here, you would encounter thermophiles,
crustaceans,
and creatures that appear to be
both freshwater and marine animals,
indicating that the lake
was connected to the ocean.
So far, all of the species you've seen are
relatively small.
But is there anything else
lurking in the darkness?
Well, according to Russian scientists,
there might be an octopus-like entity
swimming in these waters,
better known as Organism 46B.
Scientists declared that this mollusk
could paralyze you with its venom
from 45 m (150 feet) away.
It is also said to be a shapeshifter,
that's completely able to mimic
other creatures.
There's a rumor that
it killed a scientist
using a human disguise.
Breathe, it's probably just a fairy tale.
At least, you hope it is.
If you did dive into this lake,
you would most likely feel pain.
The pressure of the water
would squash the air pocket in your ears
and the air sacs in your body.
So, how do the creatures living here
manage to thrive in this environment?
Deep-sea creatures have
small molecules called
piezolytes that prevent the other molecules,
such as membranes and proteins,
from crushing under pressure.
That's pretty neat.
Oh, and, are you recording everything?
You would definitely want to share
this footage with your friends.
And if this adventure tickled your curiosity
and you wanna go even further,
well, have you ever thought about
diving in a pool full of methane?
That's a story for another What If.