There's A Big Lake Under Antarctica And Scientists Can't Wait To See What's Inside

With its blistering cold and desolate landscapes, Antarctica is one of the hardest places in the world to explore. Thanks to the perseverance of research teams from around the world, we're able to learn what mysteries this harsh environment is hiding from us. From undiscovered species to ancient fossils to never-before-seen caverns, some of our most adventurous scientists have made some truly incredible finds.

And yet, with each new discovery comes the knowledge that there's still so much more we aren't able to reach right now. Since it's simply not possible to go poking around, searching for secrets deep beneath the continent's more remote areas, researchers needed to get a little more creative. So when they're trying to unlock some long-buried natural treasures, they often comb through satellite images for signs of underground activity.

Happily, it looks like this technique has paid off because they're now on the cusp of one of Antarctica's greatest discoveries.

Don't forget to COMMENT and tell us what you're hoping to see underneath Antarctica's great glaciers.

While looking at images of eastern Antarctica, British scientists found something interesting.

Specifically, they found a series of tell-tale grooves dotting the surface of the ice.

By using radar, scientists have learned these grooves are signs of deep canyons buried under the ice.

And connected to these canyons is a massive 87x12 mile lake.

Researchers also suggest the lake is connected to a network of channels spanning 621 miles each.

But they're even more interested in the life forms they might find once they drill down into this long lost lake.

Whatever's living down there hasn't been seen for millions of years.

Previous digs have uncovered microbes kept alive by the heat coming from passing volcanic fluids. But it's possible that this lake could even contain unseen species of fish.

We know it's possible because this isn't the first such lake scientists have discovered.

When Russian scientists broke through to the larger Lake Vostok, fish were among the unusual creatures they claimed to find.

Unfortunately, their findings were contaminated by the fluid they used to drill.

So they had to drill again after facing skepticism from other researchers.

But the scientists who discovered this new lake aren't taking any chances.

They're in the process of confirming their data with American and Chinese researchers to make absolutely sure this lake is what they think it is.

Don't forget to COMMENT and tell us what you think of this amazing discovery.

Main image via The Independent | Bryan and Cherry Alexandet

Collage image via Wikimedia Commons | NASA