An International Plan for Antarctic Subglacial Lake Exploration

Discovery of at least 100 subglacial lakes beneath the vast East Antarctic Ice Sheet has focused international attention on the challenges presented by the way we conduct science in such unique and inhospitable settings in an atmosphere of increasingly stringent environmental concerns. Exploration of subglacial environments will require careful and detailed planning, organization, and international cooperation. To this end, the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) convened an international Group of Specialists (Subglacial Antarctic Lake Exploration Group of Specialists—SALEGOS) to develop a detailed assessment of the needs and critical milestones to be accomplished during the implementation of a subglacial exploration and research program. This paper surveys the progress and recommendations made by SALEGOS since its inception regarding the current state of knowledge of subglacial environments, technological needs and challenges, international management, the portfolio of scientific projects, and “clean” requirements for entry, observatory deployment, and sample retrieval.