Russian geophysical research of the subglacial lake Vostok, East Antarctica
This paper presents an overview of the results of remote sensing studies carried out in the Subglacial Lake Vostok area, East Antarctica. Systematic Russian investigations of this natural phenomenon was began in 1995 by ground-based radio-echo sounding and reflection seismic soundings. Special technique and equipment has been developed for this scientific research. The ice thickness over the lake Vostok area varies from 1950 to 4350 m. The area of water-table of the lake is 15.79 thousand sq. km.The lake is isolated. The average depth of the lake is about 400 m; the water volume is 6100 cubic km. There are 11 islands were revealed. Also outside the lake 56 isolated subglacial reservoirs have been detected. According to the seismic data, the bottom of Lake Vostok covered by sediments with the thickness of tens, perhaps the first hundreds of meters. Crystalline basement is under this layer.