Dale Andersen’s Astrobiology Antarctic Status Report: 14 November 2024: The Plumes of Enceladus
Keith’s note: Astrobiologist Dale Andersen is back in Antarctica at Lake Untersee for another field season of Research (preview). Dale’s work is coordinated through the SETI Institute. We’ll be posting his updates here. You can read about his prior exploits here.
Dale: Hi All – cool day today!
One day, humanity may send a spacecraft to the realm of Saturn, targeting one of its most fascinating moons: Enceladus. This “ocean world,” hidden beneath a thick shell of ice, harbors a vast, liquid ocean enveloping the moon—one of the most promising places in our solar system to search for life.
Here on Earth, we prepare for such bold missions by honing our skills in remote and extreme environments.
Today at Lake Untersee, while starting a dive hole, we struck a pocket of air (N2, O2, Ar) trapped just beneath the ice. The resulting plume erupted in a dramatic, beautiful burst—a small but vivid reminder of the geysers spewing from Enceladus, billions of miles away.
Just as the plumes of Enceladus await new discoveries, we’re making exciting finds here at Untersee. We hope to complete the dive hole in the next couple of days—weather permitting!
More on this interesting, seldom seen phenomenon in perennially ice-covered lakes soon!
From the shores of Lake Untersee, Antarctica,
Dale
Related links.
2024 Preview: Dale Andersen’s Field Report: Preview: 2024 Lake Untersee Field Season
Keith: Dale and I have been proving research updates – from Antarctica – since 1996. We think we actually had the first webserver (located in my old condo) updated from Antarctica. More details here: Dale Andersen’s 1996 Antarctic Field Research Photo Albums
Astrobiology
