Lake Bonney (Antarctica)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lake Bonney
Lake Bonney - Taylor Glacier at the lake
Taylor Glacier at the lake
Location McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica
Coordinates 77°44′S 162°10′ECoordinates: 77°44′S 162°10′E
Lake type subglacial, saline
Basin countries (Antarctica)
Max. length 1.8 mi (2.9 km)
Max. width 0.9 mi (1.4 km)
Max. depth 130 ft (40 m)
Surface elevation 57 m
Frozen Permanently 12 to 15 feet of ice

Lake Bonney (77°44′S, 162°10′E ) is a saline lake with permanent ice cover in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Victoria Land, Antarctica. To the north and south of the lake lie peaks that are over 3000m above sea level, and the Taylor Glacier is positioned to the west of the lake. The lake is about 3 km (1.8 miles) long and 1.5 km (0.9 miles) wide. It is 130 feet deep and is perpetually trapped under 12 to 15 feet of ice.

It was first visited by the British Antarctic Expedition of 1901-1904. It was named by the Scott expedition of 1910-1913, for Thomas George Bonney, professor of geology at University College London, England from 1877 to 1901.

In 2008 NASA is proposing to use an autonomous submersible robot called ENDURANCE to explore the water volume of the lake to study its shape and ecology. The robot is a development of the DEPTHX submersible robot.

The work is seen as a stage in developing an autonomous submersible robot that could explore the ocean on Jupiter's moon Europa.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

External images
Taylor Valley and saline Lake Bonney(One of the McMurdo Dry Valleys -a true polar desert with small 'alpine' glaciers. (Photo: © M. J. Hambrey))[1]
Lake Bonney and the lower Taylor Glacier ( viewed towards the Beacon Heights)[2]