Depth of Antarctic ice core from which viable microbes were extracted

Range ~3,600 meters
Organism Microbes
Reference Price PB, Sowers T. Temperature dependence of metabolic rates for microbial growth, maintenance, and survival. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004 Mar 30 101(13):4631-6. p.4631 right column 3rd paragraphPubMed ID15070769
Primary Source [2] Priscu JC et al., Geomicrobiology of subglacial ice above Lake Vostok, Antarctica. Science. 1999 Dec 10 286(5447):2141-4. [3] Karl DM et al., Microorganisms in the accreted ice of Lake Vostok, Antarctica. Science. 1999 Dec 10 286(5447):2144-7.PubMed ID10591642, 10591643
Comments "Priscu et al. (primary source 2) reported 10^3 to 3×10^4 microbial cells per milliliter in samples of accretion ice (refrozen from subglacial Lake Vostok water below the overlying glacial ice) at a depth of 3,590 m in an ice core from Vostok Station, Antarctica: and Karl et al. (primary source 3) detected 200 to 300 per milliliter at 3,603 m. The high concentration was in a region containing rock fragments, and the low concentration was in ice without fragments."
Entered by Uri M
ID 111454