Countries Are Racing to Drill Into Antarctica's Secret Lakes — Here's Why 🌍

Añadido: 2026-05-20

[00:00:00]Now, the plan wasn't for one country to drill into one lake. It was for three countries to drill into three lakes. The Russians into Lake Vostok, the British [music] into Lake Ellsworth, and the Americans into Lake Whillans. Time to poke an ancient lake.

[00:00:16]First up, the Russians. They had a massive head start with their effort to drill into Lake Vostok, but they had a problem. Their hole was already filled with drill fluid to prevent it from freezing, specifically kerosene. So, to solve this problem, they added Freon, which is heavier. And the idea was that it would act like a plug. And then, they used a special drill with a heated tip to slowly melt into the surface of the lake.