Antarctica's Lake Enigma certainly lives up to its name. The permanently ice-covered lake, named for the peculiar cone of debris at its center, was until recently thought to be frozen solid. But scientists have discovered a layer of fresh water hidden beneath the ice-covered surface — and it's populated by a diverse cast of microorganisms.
During an expedition to Antarctica from November 2019 to January 2020, researchers surveyed the lake with ground-penetrating radar and detected at least 40 feet (12 meters) of liquid water under the ice. The researchers then drilled into the ice and sent a camera to explore the lake's depths.
