Episode 10: Life Beneath the Ice

How an ecosystem survives underneath the Antarctic ice sheet

“Understanding what’s happening in these lakes allows us to kind of put together another piece of what’s affecting the oceans, and what that might mean ... as climate is changing in Antarctica.”

— Trista Vick-Majors

On Episode 5, a scientist named Trista Vick-Majors shared a first-person account of her team's quest to find out if there's life in lakes that are buried deep beneath the ice in Antarctica. After the story aired, several listeners asked to know more about the discoveries that Trista and her colleagues had made. So we invited her back on the show.

In this episode, Trista explains how tiny organisms cling to life in one of the least hospitable places on the planet.

Cells from Subglacial Lake Whillans, fluorescing under the microscope. Photo by Trista Vick-Majors

Episode 5: Life In The Antarctic

A scientist recounts the harrowing quest for life beneath the ice

Trista Vick-Majors carries samples from the ice cave freezer at Subglacial Lake Whillans to the lab. PHOTO BY J.T. THOMAS

The traverse of equipment makes its way across the ice. PHOTO BY J.T. THOMAS

Shrine to Subglacial Lake Whillans, at McMurdo Station. PHOTO BY TRISTA VICK-MAJORS

Students attempt to hitch a ride to Subglacial Lake Whillans, as the wait at McMurdo drags on. Hitchhiking in Antarctica is not very effective. PHOTO BY SUSAN KELLY

A Twin Otter prepares to drop off team members as Subglacial Lake Whillans. PHOTO BY TRISTA VICK-MAJORS

Peyton Adkins drives a Pisten Bully, one of the team's modes of transport from McMurdo to the drill test site. PHOTO BY TRISTA VICK-MAJORS

The camp at Subglacial Lake Whillans, with yellow tents for sleeping and red shipping containers for the drill and labs. PHOTO BY J.T. THOMAS

Sleeping tents at Subglacial Lake Whillans. PHOTO BY TRISTA VICK-MAJORS

Inside the rack tent, where the team ate and relaxed. PHOTO BY TRISTA VICK-MAJORS

A crane lifts a large instrument to prepare it for its trip down the borehole. PHOTO BY TRISTA VICK-MAJORS

John Priscu of Montana State University and Brent Christner of Louisiana State University deploy the sampling bottle down the borehole. PHOTO COURTESY TRISTA VICK-MAJORS

Trista Vick-Majors and Amanda Achberger wait for samples to arrive. PHOTO COURTESY TRISTA VICK-MAJORS

The microbiology/chemistry lab at Subglacial Lake Whillans, set up to receive a water sample, with a black cradle to hold the sample bottle. PHOTO BY TRISTA VICK-MAJORS

The first view of the bottom of Subglacial Lake Whillans. PHOTO COURTESY TRISTA VICK-MAJORS

Montana State University professor John Priscu carries the first sample from the drill platform to the lab. PHOTO BY TRISTA VICK-MAJORS

Water from Subglacial Lake Whillans, ready to be filtered.

Scientists retrieve sediment samples from Subglacial Lake Whillans. PHOTO COURTESY TRISTA VICK-MAJORS

The microbiology team in the "ice cave freezer," a pit dug into the snow and ice in which samples were kept. PHOTO BY J.T. THOMAS

Microbes from Subglacial Lake Whillans. PHOTO BY TRISTA VICK-MAJORS

Antarctica is dotted with a series of lakes buried deep beneath the ice. Several years ago, scientists set out to discover whether those subglacial lakes contain life. Team member Trista Vick-Majors joins us to offer a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse at what it’s like to work in one of the most extreme places on the planet – a place so remote and unforgiving that failure seems imminent every step of the way. 

To find out more about the discoveries Trista's team made at Subglacial Lake Whillans, check out the paper they published in the journal Nature.