WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Scientists have confirmed the presence of an array of microorganisms, including an extensive family of rock-eating bacteria, living in a subglacial lake in Antarctica. The discovery gives hope to scientists who suggest life could still be lurking deep under the surface of Mars.
Lake Whillans is buried under 2,640 feet of ice. It's primarily fed by the lower portion of the Whillans Ice Stream in West Antarctica, but is part of a vast subglacial drainage network -- a drainage system that scientists now know supports life. While it's fed with ice from above, the lake is made possible by melting from geothermal heating from below.