Study Site

"My research at UIC focuses on physical limnology and hydrology in cold environments. This photo documents a reconnaissance flight to choose our study site at Lake Vida in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica. In the photo is UIC professor Peter Doran beneath a United States Antarctic Program B-212 helicopter, which is delivering our drill tent for the season. Our work at Lake Vida focuses on the geochemistry, microbiology, and hydrology of Lake Vida, which has a surface ice cover of at least 27 m. The research team has already shown that life exists even in this frozen environment! Over the next few months, we will be analyzing ice cores, brine samples, and recovered sediment to further understand the formation and continuation of life in Lake Vida."