Lake Vostok

Antarctica · hidden lakes · extreme places · ice

Hidden beneath ice. Lake Vostok sits about 4,000 meters (13,100 feet) below the surface of Antarctica's ice sheet, making it one of the most isolated places on Earth. It's so deep underground that its surface is actually 500 meters below sea level.

Huge and mysterious. Lake Vostok is the largest of Antarctica's 675 subglacial lakes and the 16th largest lake in the entire world by area. Scientists are amazed that such a massive lake could exist completely hidden under ice.

Ancient frozen world. The lake sits beneath Russia's Vostok Station in central East Antarctica, in a region called the Pole of Cold. The ice above it has been frozen solid for millions of years, preserving the lake like a time capsule.

Fresh, not salty. Unlike most water in Antarctica's surroundings, Lake Vostok contains freshwater. Scientists wonder what kinds of life might exist in this isolated underwater world.