Russia 2006-07 - Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research

MEMBER COUNTRY: <strong>Russia</strong> 

National Report to SCAR for year: <strong>2006</strong> - 20<strong>07</strong> 

Activity Contact Name Address Telephone Fax Email web site 

National SCAR <strong>Committee</strong> 

SCAR Delegates 

1) Delegate V.M.Kotlyakov 

<strong>Russia</strong>n National <strong>Committee</strong> 

on Antarctic Research 

Institute of Geography, 

Staromonetny per.29, 

109017 Moskow, <strong>Russia</strong> 74,959,590,032 74,959,590,033 igras@igras.glonet.ru 

2) Alternate Delegate M.Yu.Moskalev-sky 

Standing <strong>Scientific</strong> Groups 

<strong>Russia</strong>n National <strong>Committee</strong> 

on Antarctic Research 

Institute of Geography, 

Staromonetny per.29, 

109017 Moskow, <strong>Russia</strong> 74,959,590,032 74,959,590,033 moskalevsky@mail.ru 

Life Sciences 

Delegate 

Geosciences 

Delegate 

Physical Sciences 

Delegate 

Igor Melnikov 

German 

Leitchenkov 

Aleksander 

Klepikov 

Institute of Oceanology, 

<strong>Russia</strong>n Academy of 

Sciences, 

Nakhimovsky prosp.36, 

117852 Moscow, <strong>Russia</strong> 74951292018 74951245983 migor@online.ru www.paiceh.ru 

VNIIOkeangeologia, 

Angliysky Ave, 1, 

190121 St.Petersburg, 

<strong>Russia</strong> 78123123551 78127141470 german_l@mail.ru 

Arctic and Antarctic 

Research Institute 

Ul.Beringa, 38, 


<strong>Russia</strong> 78123520226 

78123522827 

78123522688 klep@aari.nw.ru www.aari.aq 

1

Activity Contact Name Address Telephone Fax Email web site 

<strong>Scientific</strong> Research Program 

None 

ACE 

1) 

AGCS 

Delegate 

Aleksander 

Klepikov 

2) Victor Lagun 





<strong>Russia</strong> 78123520226 78123522688 klep@aari.nw.ru www.aari.ru 





<strong>Russia</strong> 78123522950 78123522688 lagun@aari.nw.ru www.aari.aq 

None 

EBA 

Delegate 

ICESTAR 

Oleg Troshichev 





<strong>Russia</strong> 78123521149 78123522688 olegtro@aari.nw.ru www.aari.nw.ru 

SALE 

Delegate 

1) Valery Lukin 

2) Sergey Bulat 

3) Sergey Popov 





<strong>Russia</strong> 

Petersburg Nuclear Physics 

Institute, 188350 

Gatchina, 

Leningradskaya obl., 

78123521542 

78123512930 

78123522827 

78123522395 lukin@aari.nw.ru www.aari.aq 

<strong>Russia</strong> 727146625 727132303 bulat@omrb.pnpi.spb. ru 

Polar Marine Geological 

Expedition, Pobeda 

St.24 189510 

Lomonosov <strong>Russia</strong> 78124231858 78124231900 spopov@peterlink.ru 

2

Activity Contact Name <strong>Russia</strong> Telephone Fax Email web site 

ACTION GROUPS 





King George Island Victor Lagun <strong>Russia</strong> 78123522950 78123522688 lagun@aari.nw.ru www.aari.aq 

EXPERT GROUPS 

Oceanography 

JCADM 

Delegate 

Aleksander 

Klepikov 

1) Victor Lagun 





<strong>Russia</strong> 78123520226 78123522688 klep@aari.nw.ru www.aari.aq 





<strong>Russia</strong> 78123522950 78123522688 lagun@aari.nw.ru www.aari.aq 

2) Vasily Smolyanitsky Ditto 78123522152 78123522688 vms@aari.nw.ru 

NATIONAL ANTARCTIC DATA CENTRE 

Arctic and Antarctic 78123521542 78123522395 nadc@aari.nw.ru www.aari.aq 

Research Institute 78123512930 7812352227 

SCAR DATABASE 

Arctic and Antarctic Ul.Beringa, 38, 


St.Petersburg, <strong>Russia</strong> 

78123521542 

78123512930 

78123521542 

78123512930 nadc@aari.nw.ru www.aari.aq 

A BRIEF SUMMARY OF SCIENTIFIC HIGHLIGHTS: 

See following pages 

3

<strong>Scientific</strong> Highlights 

Atmosphere studies 

Current meteorology, actinometry, ozone and upper air dataset of <strong>Russia</strong>n Antarctic Circumpolar network has been completed based on 20<strong>07</strong> 

observation results for all measurement programs. Detailed inter-comparisons of standard synoptic observations were organised between all polar 

stations located at King George Island. These comparisons indicate the influence of local environment conditions on observed climatic trends and 

possible causes of inhomogeneity of surface time-series. New warming record was registered at King George Island in January-March <strong>2006</strong> due to 

increase of local cyclonic and mesoscale atmospheric activity. 

In the frames of IPY COMPASS cluster key climatic parameters observed at different Antarctic polar station were collected and will be presented at 

special web-site http://www.aari.aq. Inter-comparison between <strong>Russia</strong>n Novolazarevskaya station surface data and Belgian automatic weather station 

was made. Comparison demonstrates good agreement in annual course of local temperature, pressure and wind speed data and estimates possibility of 

numerical verification of automatic weather station data. The new <strong>Russia</strong>n automatic weather station was established at Molodejnaya station which was 

opened after conservation. 

Solar activity effects on dynamical and temperature tropospheric processes have been studied at Vostok station (Central Antarctica) and Mirny station 

(East Antarctica coastal zone). It is shown that the temperature regime at Vostok is strongly affected by variations of the interplanetary electric field, 

the warming up to 10-15 o C being observed within 24 hours after the sharp increase of the dawn-dusk interplanetary electric field. It is suggested that 

influence of the interplanetary electric field on atmosphere is realized through the global electric circuit affected by the interplanetary and 

magnetospheric electric fields and currents 

Oceanography 

At the vicinity of Bellingshausen station there was re-started regular hydrology observations. Annual course of sea water temperature, salinity, sea 

level and phitoplancton activities was obtained and compared with previous observation results. 

Paleoclimate and Vostok studies 

The <strong>Russia</strong>n ITASE program has focused on the vicinity of Vostok Station. Lake Vostok drilling program was continued. 

Glaciology 

King George Island Ecology glacier edge dynamics demonstrates strong glacier discharge (about 350 m per last decade). 

The data available on the ice discharge near the grounding line of the larger part of East Antarctica: Lambert, Mellor, Fisher, Denman, Scott, Philippi, 

Totten, Frost, Mertz, Ninnis, Rennick, Campbell, Priestley, Reeves, David, Mawson, Mackay outlet glacier’s were collected and analyzed. The results

demonstrate the general increase of ice discharge from mid 1960-th to now, except some particular drainage systems, where the maximum of ice 

discharge took place in 1980-th. 

In the frames of IPY ANTPAS cluster activities King George Island geocryology polygon measurements of permafrost active layer parameters 

distribution are obtained. During 20<strong>07</strong> summer season extreme values of permafrost melting layer is 158 cm. 

Biology 

In the frames of IPY CLICOPEN cluster investigations of the plankton of the Ardly Bay (Antarctic Peninsula) demonstrated annual and inter-annual variations 

of krill community. Special study of climate warming input to marine, coastal and terrestrial ecosystems development over Antarctic Peninsula area is 

provided. King George Island fresh water lakes plankton parameters are studied and described. 

The new data about the lichenoflora composition and distribution over Filds Peninsula of King George Island and the Antarctic Peninsula have been found; 

where 150 species of 52 genera and 25 families were sampled. Description of available Antarctic circumpolar lichen collection was made. 

Dynamics of Dechanpsia Antarctica expansion over ice free area of King George Island is mapped. The bird and seal areas distribution over Filds Peninsula is 

described. 

Sea bottom fauna study at Progress station presents several new sea floor animal forms. 

The main results obtained in AARI in 2005-<strong>2006</strong> (Upper atmosphere and magnetosphere) 

Aleksandr Klepikov 

klep@aari.nw.ru 

Victor Lagun 

lagun@aari.nw.ru 

ICESTAR 

1. To derive the unified polar cap magnetic activity index (PC) using the data from near-pole stations Vostok (Antarctica) and Thule (Greenland) 

the unified technique has been elaborated in the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI) and Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI). 

While studying the relations between the PC index and indices AE, AL and AU, characterizing the magnetic activity in the auroral zone, the 

conclusion has been made that PC index increases during hour before the substorm onset demonstrating the growth phase development. The PC 

index in summer polar cap (the summer PC) turned out to be growing much faster than that in the winter polar cap and reached, by the time of 

the sudden onset, a higher value than the winter PC index, irrespective of the disturbance intensity. After the sudden onset (during the

expansion phase) the summer PC index changes little (or even decreases in cases of long powerful bays), contrary to the winter PC index that 

changes in conformity with the course of the magnetic bay. The results give evidence that the summer PC index, being mostly affected by the 

geoeffective interplanetary electric field, is not responding to auroral disturbances, whereas the winter PC index changes in agreement with 

behavior and intensity of substorms. 

2. It is shown that the troposphere warming in the Central Antarctica related to the strong increase in the southward IMF component of the solar 

wind is followed within few days by the reconstruction of the wind pattern above the entire southern polar region. The dramatic deviation of 

atmospheric winds from the regular pattern (“anomalous winds”) at the Antarctic continental and coast stations leads to decay of the 

circumpolar vortex at about the periphery of the Antarctic continent. As a result, the surface easterlies at the coast stations are replaced by 

southerlies, and the cold air masses rush from Antarctica to the Southern Ocean. Conclusion is made that the solar wind affects the Antarctic 

atmosphere owing to changes in the geoeffective interplanetary electric field influencing, through the global electric circuit, the cloudiness over 

the Central Antarctica and, respectively, the temperature and wind regime in the lower stratosphere. 

3. It is shown that interannual variations of the ozone spring depression in Antarctica are strongly determined by the QBO phase, typical of zonal 

winds in the equatorial stratosphere. Earlier it was shown that the whole QBO cycle is of discrete duration (24, 30, or 36 months), which 

depends on the solar UV intensity at the initial stages of the cycle. Basing on studies carried out in <strong>2006</strong> the conclusion has been made that 

irregularity of the QBO changes in the spring ozone depression is determined by the phase and, correspondingly, by QBO duration in the 

equatorial stratosphere. In implies that the spring ozone depression in Antarctica depend on the solar UV intensity during forming the new QBO 

cycle initial stage preceding the spring ozone depression. 

4. The synchronized observations of the atmospheric electric field and vertical tltctric current are started at station Vostok in framework of the 

cooperative <strong>Russia</strong>n – Australian – USA project. Establishment of the analogous observations at stations South Pole and Dome C, planned for 

20<strong>07</strong>, will provide a means of studying the response of the global electric circuit to variations in the interplanetary electric field. 

Oleg Troshichev 

olegtro@aari.nw.ru 

RUSSIAN GEOSCIENCE ACTIVITIES IN 20<strong>07</strong> 

ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED: Federal Research Institute for Geology and Mineral Resources of the World Ocean, VNIIOkeangeologia; Polar 

Marine Geosurvey Expedition, PMGE (Ministry of Natural Resources). 

1. FIELD ACTIVITIES (52 nd <strong>Russia</strong>n Antarctic Expedition) 

Marine geophysics (PMGE and VNIOOkeangeologia).

Marine geophysical studies were conducted in the area between the Prydz Bay and the southern Kerguelen Plateau (SCP) in cooperation with Alfred 

Wegener Institute (AWI) as the IPY Project “Geodynamic, depositional and environmental history of the region off the Amery Ice Shelf (Prydz Bay – 

Kerguelen Plateau Geotransect)”. PMGE/VNIIOkeangeologia have collected about 4000 km of MCS lines (using 240-chanel 4400 m long streamer) 

and about 4500 km of magnetic and gravity data with RV “Akademik A. Karpinsky” while AWI (RV “Polarstern”) have deployed 37 Ocean Bottom 

Seismographs (OBS) along two MCS lines crossing the continent-ocean transition off Prydz Bay (along about 73E) and the thickened magmatic crust 

of the SKP (along about 83E). Additionally two-ship (long-aperture) seismic experiment has been carried out along the of MCS/OBS line off the Prydz 

Bay. Collected data enabled 1) characterization structural parameters, physical properties and interrelations of rifted continental, oceanic and magmatic 

(Kerguelen Plateau) crust and 2) definition geometry, timing and geodynamic regime of early sea-floor spreading. It is noteworthy, that oceanic crust 

located westward of the southern Kerguelen Plateau shows a prominent symmetric magnetic lineation with extinct spreading center. 

On-land airborne geophysics (PMGE) 

Airborne survey including magnetic and radio-echo sounding (RES) measurements has been conducted in western Prince-Charles Mts. (between 61.6E 

and 64.3E and between 71S and 73S) over the area of about 20 000 km 2 with use of short-range airplane (AN-2). Flight lines were oriented north-south 

and spaced 5 km apart. The RES studies were carried out using a 60-MHz MPI-60 radio-echo sounder with a dynamic range of 180 dB and a pulse 

width of 750 ns. Totally about 5 000 km of profiles have been acquired. 

On-land ground-based geophysics (PMGE) 

About 600 km of oversnow radio-echo sounding (RES) observations have been conducted in the northern and western part of Lake Vostok and along 

the route from Vostok Station to Mirniy Station. 30 reflection seismic soundings (RSS) along 2 lines (across and along the lake) have been acquired in 

the northern part of Lake Vostok. The lake depths in the area range between 700 and 1250 m. 

On-land geology (PMGRE) 

Geological research was carried out at the central and south-eastern parts of the Fisher Massive (Prince-Charles Mts.) where low grade metamorphic 

rocks are developed. The south-eastern part of the Fisher Massive (studied in more details) consists of parallel mafic dykes emplaced into schist 

assemblages while the central one is dominated with schist, gabbro and gabbro-diorite. Subsequent analytical studies will be centered on the definition 

of geochemistry and nature of metamorphic rocks as well as their ages and tectonic settings in which they formed.

INDOOR ACTIVITY 

Tectonic Map of Antarctica (VNIIOkeangeologia) 

Tectonic map of Antarctica is compiled within the IPY Project “Tectonic Map of the Earth’s Polar regions”) managed by CGMW. The main objectives 

of the project and its Antarctic component include: 1) integrating abundant geological data and tectonic interpretations disseminated in multinational 

literature into a coherent generalized legend that would allow the presentation of principal structural elements and historical particularities of both 

Polar Regions in a unified system of graphical designations and basic terms; 2) compiling 1:10 M maps and smaller scale insets; 3) preparing textual 

supplements to the cartographic products in the form of a short booklet and more extensive explanatory notes highlighting the tectonic essentialities of 

the Polar Regions in a comparative context; 4) producing the first products by the time of 33 rd Session of IGC (Oslo, 2008) and within the scope of IPY 

activities. Highlighting the common features and dissimilarities in tectonic structure and history of the Polar regions, and investigating the nature of 

these resemblances and distinctions will significantly contribute to understanding the fundamental regularities of the Earth’s geological evolution, and 

especially to improving the models of development of geodynamic and deep-seated magmatic processes that lead to fragmentation of the 

supercontinents and emergence of the oceans. 

Geochemical and isotopic studies in the Prince Charles Mountains (VNIIOkeangeologia in co-operation with BGR, Germany) 

New ion-microprobe and conventional U–Pb zircon data were obtained to confirm two major tectonomagmatic events at ca 3150 Ma and 2800 Ma and 

a post-tectonic granite emplacement at ca 520 Ma in the southern Prince Charles Mountains (SPCM). The Early Palaeozoic granitic rocks in the SPCM 

differ in many geochemical respects from otherwise similar rocks in the northern PCM, which indicates derivation from different crustal sources. New 

Sm–Nd data were obtained for mafic and ultramafic rocks in the southern and northern Mawson Escarpment. Such rocks in the southern Mawson 

Escarpment display mantle characteristics of either a highly enriched, or highly depleted nature. Fractionation of these mantle rocks from their sources 

may be as old as Eoarchaean (ca 3850 Ma) while their tectonic emplacement probably occurred prior to 2550 Ma. These results provide for the first 

time evidence for Archaean suturing within East Antarctica. Similar upper mantle sources are likely present in the northern Mawson Escarpment. New 

geochemical and U–Pb zircon data on mafic dykes from the southern Prince Charles Mountains were also obtained. These data allow outlining the 

geological history of the different tectonic terranes in the PCM, and to constrain a comprehensive correlation of their geological history and 

geodynamic environments to other parts of East Antarctica and other Gondwanaland blocks. 

Subglacial Environments (VNIIOkeangeologia) 

A few small solid inclusions extracted from ice cores of Vostok Drill Hole (depth 36<strong>07</strong> m) and represented by durable siltstones have been studied by 

isotopic method for age determinations. Tens of very small (from 2 mkm to 20-30 mkm) zircons and monazites have been identified in specially 

prepared thin section and 28 of them have been analyzed by SHRIMP. The ages of minerals range from 600 Ma to 2000 Ma with picks within 800-

1000 Ma and 1600-1800 Ma. It is proposed that bedrock to the west of Lake Vostok (upstream of Vostok Station) is composed of sedimentary rocks 

the source-land of which was a Paleoproterozoic-Mesoproterozoic assemblages of central Antarctica (likely the area of Gamburtsev Mts.). 

Seismic Startigraphy of the East Antarctica margin (VNIIOkeangeologia and PMGE) 

About 40 000 km of multichannel seismic reflection lines collected by the <strong>Russia</strong>n Antarctic Expedition along the East Antarctic continental margin 

between 32ºE and 115ºE have been interpreted to elaborate a revised seismic stratigraphic model for depositional paleoenvironments of the region. 

Variations in acoustic facies characteristics observed across major seismic horizons are correlated with paleoenvironmental changes deciphered from 

Antarctic drilling data and deep-sea “proxy” records. The study indicates that the East Antarctic margin was glaciated at different times. Glacial ice 

first reached the western Wilkes Land margin in the Middle Eocene and then advanced onto most parts of the East Antarctic continental shelf during 

the earliest Oligocene. During the Neogene, bottom currents deposited a variety of drift deposits along the margin. 

Antarctic Digital Magnetic Anomaly Map (ADMAP Project, VNIIOkeangeologia and ADMAP consortium) 

VNIIOkeangeologia is responsible for compilation and upgrade of the Antarctic magnetic anomaly map within the ADMAP Project. The first edition 

of map was issued in 2001 and a last one - in 20<strong>07</strong> (the data base increased continuously). The 20<strong>07</strong> map version includes more than 500,000 km of 

new airborne and shipborne data acquired after 2000 by different organizations and gives substantial improvements in magnetic anomaly pattern 

recognition. New data have been matched in one inverse operation by minimizing the data differences for the areas of overlap. The aeromagnetic data 

show many previously unknown magnetic patterns, lineaments and trends, defining the spatial extent of Ferrar volcanics and plutonic Granite Harbour 

Intrusives in the Transantarctic Mountains and previously unknown tectonic trends of the East Antarctic craton. 

Antarctic Bedrock Topography and Ice Sheet (ABRIS Project; PMGE and VNIIOkeangeologia in co-operation with Institute of Geography, RAS) 

A new bedrock topography map has been compiled for the central region of East Antarctica using ice thickness data available in the BEDMAP Project 

data base and new information obtained after 2000 by the <strong>Russia</strong>n Antarctic Expedition (when the BEDMAP product finished). Moreover, airborne 

radio-echo sounding data acquired during the Soviet Antarctic Expeditions (before 1992) between Enderby Land and the Gamburtsev Subglacial 

Mountains and recorded on films have been revised and reinterpreted. This work allowed imaging of improved bedrock topography for this area. 

Unlike the previously published bedrock topography map produced by the BEDMAP Project, the new map shows real bathymetry of Lake Vostok and 

some earlier not recognized morphological features of the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains and area to the north of them. 

Dr. German L. Leitchenkov 

Representative to SCAR SSG GS 

Head of Department

VNIIOkeangeologia 

1, Angliysky Ave. 

190121, Saint Petersburg 

RUSSIA 

e-mail: german_l@mail.ru 

Phone: 7(812)-312-35-51 

CONTACT PERSONS: 

1) Marine geophysics: Viktor Gandyukhin (antarctida@polarex.spb.ru) & German Leitchenkov 

2) On-land airborne geophysics: Valery Masolov (antarctida@polarex.spb.ru) 

3) On-land ground-based geophysics: Sergey Popov (spopov67@yandex.ru) 

4) On-land geology: Anatoly Laiba (laibageo@peterlink.ru) 

5) Tectonic Map of Antarctica: Garrick Grikurov (grikurov@vniio.ru) 

6) Geochemical and isotopic studies in the Prince Charles Mountains 

7) Subglacial Environments: German Leitchenkov 

8) Seismic Startigraphy of the East Antarctica margin: German Leitchenkov 

9) ADMAP Project: Alexander Golynsky (sasha@vniio.nw.ru) 

10) ABRIS Project: Sergey Popov (spopov67@yandex.ru) 

Life Sciences 

During the 20<strong>07</strong> <strong>Russia</strong>n Antarctic Expedition (RAE), the IPY project “Study of the Antarctic Sea Ice Ecosystems” (SASIE) under leadership of 

prof. Igor A. Melnikov (P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, RAS) was launched. SASIE is a part of the IPY cluster project “Integrated analyses of 

circumpolar Climate interactions and Ecosystem Dynamics” (ICED) which is an international initiative aimed at coordinating integrated, 

multidisciplinary, circumpolar analyses of Southern Ocean ecosystems. ICED is being developed in conjunction with the <strong>Scientific</strong> <strong>Committee</strong> on 

Antarctic Research (SCAR) and the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP), through joint support from the Integrated Marine 

Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Research (IMBER) and Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics (GLOBEC) programmes. 

The IPY field observations were conducted at Nella fjord (Prudz Bay) nearby the <strong>Russia</strong>n continental station “Progress” (69° 22’ S and 76° 23’ 

E) located at Ingrid Christensen Coast (Larsemann Hills, Princes Elizabeth Land, Eastern Antarctic). During the period 26.12.06 through 9.01.<strong>07</strong> there 

were collected both sea ice cores and under ice water samples at the profile across the Nella fjord for salinity, mineral and organic compounds

measurements and species composition identifications. It was shown that sea ice flora consists of mainly by dinoflagellate cysts, but marine diatoms 

were presented only by single cells, that are probably caused by freshening of ice. Due to Nella fjord observations, the multicomponent system was 

detected which is consisted of (i) ice with fresh and sea water influence, (ii) under ice brackish water layer with salinity of 4-5‰ and 50−60 cm thick, 

and (iii) sea water layer with salinity of 34-35‰. This “multifloor” sea-ice-water system is synchronous vertically displaced due to tides up to 2 m, but 

sufficiently stable during the melting season while the sea-ice cover is “put off” the water-wave mixing. The SASIE project research is planned to 

continue during the 2008 RAE. 

Igor Melnikov 

migor@online.ru 

SALE 

Microbial life in extreme subglacial Antarctic lake environments: Lake Vostok 

Since subglacial Antarctic lake environments (SALE) are thought to analogues for extraterrestrial environments such as moon Europa of Jupiter, 

the ability of these environments to support microbial life is hotly discussed because of high chance of 'forward-contamination' which necessitate the 

caution when interpreting the results. 

The objective of the study was searching for DNA signatures in accretion ice from Lake Vostok buried beneath 4-km thick East Antarctic ice sheet. 

The ultimate goal was discovering microbial life in this extreme icy environment featured by ~15 Ma long isolation, no light, high pressure (about 400 

bars), low temperature (close to the freezing point), ultra-low dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content, and predicted excess of dissolved oxygen. 

The 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing constrained by Ancient DNA research criteria of authentication was used as a main approach. The flow 

cytometry was used for cell enumeration. 

The accretion ice retrieved by deep ice coring at Vostok provides the best present-day template for searching for life in SALE. This ice consists of 

two layers: the uppermost ice (type 1) containing small mica-clay inclusions and the deeper ice (type 2) which is just very clean. Both ice types feature 

ultra-low total gas (2-3 order of magnitude lower than in glacier ice) (anaerobic conditions) and ultra-low DOC content (< 10 ppbC) (ultra-oligotrophic 

conditions). The possible redox couples capable to support the chemoautotrophic life seem to be limited to hydrogen (and possibly sulfides) as reducers 

and sulfates and carbon dioxide as electron acceptors and carbon source. Therefore, in accretion ice (namely ice 1) we could discover anaerobic 

chemoautotrophic piezophilic psychrophiles while in the water body (supersaturated with oxygen) - the same forms but 'oxygenophilic' or aerobic. 

However, the DNA study showed that accretion ice in general is essentially microbial DNA-free. Up to now, a few bacterial phylotypes have been 

recovered from accretion ice type 1 only and they will be discussed in terms of unusual geobiochemical environment of the lake. Amongst them the 

only chemolithoautotroph proved to be the true thermophile Hydrogenophilus thermoluteolus. It was initially found at 36<strong>07</strong>m depth but later confirmed 

for another ice horizon (3561m) differed by 47m core depth and about 5000 yr time-period. The thermophiles seem to originate not from the lake water

ut rather within the lake bedrock living in deep faults in warm anoxic sediments reach in CO 2 and hydrogen and sporadically flushing out to the veins 

into the lake due to a seismotectonic activity. 

Cell concentrations in strictly decontaminated ice samples measured by flow cytometry did not exceed 10 cells/ml in both type 1 and 2 accretion 

ice. All these results point out the very low microbial biomass in Vostok accretion ice samples, biomass levels two-three orders of magnitude lower 

than previously published, and leave the question of whether life exists in subglacial Lake Vostok open. Thus, the lake may be viewed as the only 

extremely clean giant aquatic system on the Earth providing a unique test area for searching for life on icy planets and moons. 

Sergey Bulat 

bulat@omrb.pnpi.spb.ru

Russia 2006-07 - Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research

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