Cleanup mission aims to protect one of earth’s clearest lakes

They ended up removing 7000kg of contaminated materials and shipping it back to Scott base for treatment and disposal.

The research station was in one of Antarctica’s largest ice-free regions, and it was decommissioned in 1992 due to rising water levels in Lake Vanda and growing concerns about climate change. The research station included a workshop, a laboratory, a generator room, and about a dozen huts for researchers, along with a toilet that used a removable drum for waste. During its operation, the site was staffed every summer and even supported year-round personnel for three winters. Over time, the activity generated significant amounts of contaminated soil and groundwater.

Lake Vanda is located in a closed basin, fed by glacial meltwater with no natural outlet. As a result, water accumulates steadily with minimal evaporation. This led to the lake’s shoreline gradually shrinking during the station’s 22 years of operation and continued to do so in the more than two decades since its closure.

Dr. Clive Howard, who was involved in the cleanup effort, said the mission was considered a success. While not all contaminated material could be removed, testing shows that the lake’s water quality now closely matches that of other uncontaminated Antarctic lakes.