“Glaciers” our world’s largest freshwater reservoir is composed of snow, ice and rock that are accumulated over thousands of years. They are formed over the years making them rich source of ions and minerals but it also holds a large stock of microbes like bacteria and viruses. These natural microbial repositories are in their inactive form due to the freezing temperature that keep them locked reducing its effect on humans.
In recent years rise in global temperature has triggered the rate of melting of these ice giants. Loss of these glacial masses will not only lead in rise in sea levels but may unlocks the Pandora’s box of these tiny creatures. Scientist have collected many samples of these molten glacial bodies which has significantly displayed higher concentration of microbes. These researchers still are not able to analyze the characteristics of pathogenic microorganisms in glaciers.
Many analyst claim that a virus or strain of bacteria will emerge from ancient ice which remains untouched till date may challenge the human immune system leading to vast killing of mankind. They assume that the microbes collected in recent years are only few decades old as the upper layer of glacier is formed in recent years while they are worried for the microbes in deep core which are trapped in for centuries.
In this article will try to unfold the factuality of life under these frozen glacial layers and try to understand how to deal with the negative impact caused by their exposure-
The Hidden World Beneath the Ice
As we discussed, their is an unexplored world of microbes underneath those ice giants, but there is more than that is hidden in the deep beds of these white blocks. Its nearly impossible to predict what’s beneath by just observing those barren lifeless surfaces of glaciers. Scientists have discovered that there is an amazing world encompassing hidden landscapes like subglacial lakes, vast river system and even mountain ranges encompassing entire microbial ecosystem.
With current situation of melting glaciers the unexplored world trapped under this white giants is likely to be exposed. Let’s take an insight into this novel ecosystem –
1. The Ice Chronicles- A Window Into the Past –
Since glaciers are formed over centuries each layer traps the geological secrets and climatic records of that age. Thus when researchers drill into these ice sheets they have disclosed some facts such as-
a) Tiny air bubbles in each layer reveals CO₂ levels from that era thus describes atmospheric conditions during that period.
b) Presence of ash, soot and other minute particles explains the environmental conditions as well as help in predicting volcanic eruptions or even wildfires occurred in that timeframe.
c) Density of ice in each sheet shows climatic fluctuations over millennia.
These facts helped scientists to predict the age and other changes over the years, for example when ice cores from Antarctica and Greenland were studied they reconstructed the climatic history of over 800,000 years which serves as guide for Earth’s changing climate in today’s world.
2. The Secret World Beneath the Ice –
Under the thick layers of frozen water hides a unknown subglacial world comprising of mountain ranges, valleys, subglacial lakes and subglacial rivers. Let’s dive into some examples of these geological features –
a) The Gamburtsev Mountains in Antarctica, a buried mountain range about the size of Alps is trapped beneath.
b) The Denman Glacier Canyon in East Antarctica which is 3,500 meters (11,500 feet) below sea level, a deepest canyon under layers of ice.
c) Lake Vostok in Antartica, one of the largest subglacial lakes buried under 4km of ice sheets.
The most noteworthy discovery was a 460-km-long (286-mile) subglacial river trapped underneath Antartica’s ice blocks.
As we know now how these mysteries remain concealed beneath these glaciers, but the most fascinating part that astonish world wide scientists is the untouched microscopical universe.
Let’s try to uncover some of their secrets like – How do they thrive in there?., What factors help them sustain? And What if they come to life someday? –
The Frozen Microbial Vault
The glacial sheet formed over the period of time keeps locking the microbes existing in that era, keeping them locked underneath for millennia. These microscopical bodies include ancient bacteria, viruses, frozen algae and fungi. Its predicted that, it may also include some species which are still unknown to mankind.
Its assumed that not all are of these creatures are threats but its said that some could even help us understand its implications for astrobiology. But the intriguing fact is their survival in this extreme conditions and its unspecified risk to mankind. Let’s try to get answers on questions associated with these tiny life forms –
Survival in the Shadows: The Secrets of Lightless Microbes
The white surface of ice reflects light efficiently keeping its lower end sunken in deep darkness, thus if life need to exist down there it has to acquaint life in lightless environment. These tiny species feed on minerals and gases instead of sunlight. Few species are in dormant state waiting for favorable conditions. Researchers when tried to revive them in laboratories they actually came out alive.
So, if the ice is lost over the period of time these organisms will come to life and with further a do will expand their population. This clarifies that the life is awaiting down there waiting to be awaken.
Life on the Edge: What Makes Survival Possible in Extreme Conditions?
The factors like freezing temperatures and lightless life doesn’t stop microbes living in this frozen world. Sediments trapped in glaciers are rich source of iron, sulfur and methane. These chemicals support survival of these tiny creatures by process called chemosynthesis. Chemosynthesis is a process of obtaining energy from chemicals similar to photosynthesis which obtain energy through sunlight. Thus, living in lower temperatures or darkness doesn’t affect their life.
On other hand, some microbes are enclosed in cellular locks which keep them dormant till favorable conditions return. These dormant species possess all cellular chemicals required for growth and development in the inactive form which can alter its chemical conditions as temperature rises and ice melts.
The Microbial Time Capsule: What If Long-Frozen Microbes Revive?
The most concerning stage in melting of ice caps is exposure of hidden microbial world, as their consequences to this modern world is unforeseeable. The existing microbes and their role in current environment is well- known and their beneficial activities like recycling nutrients and interactions with plants and animals is supporting the maintenance of ecosystems.
The introduction of the ancient miniature bodies could alter the stability of this modern natural world. Their entry could –
– disrupt food chains by competing with existing microbes.
– alter ongoing nutrient cycles modifying composition of soil, oceans, rivers and lakes.
– their effects could be beneficial or harmful or even both.
These concerns lead scientist to the unstoppable efforts to analyze the components trapped in the frozen world. The following discoveries unveil the distress associated with stepping of the tiny species in the current world.
Latest Discoveries That Are Changing What We Know
– Recently scientist have found about 1000 of new species inhabiting in the surface of ice in Tibetan glaciers. To add on, in 2020, scientists found 15,000-year-old viruses in a Tibetan glacier, most of which were previously unknown to science.
– In 2014, a virus was revived in laboratory which was from 30,000-year-old Siberian permafrost.
– While in 2016, an outbreak of anthrax (a disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis) in western Siberia due to the rapid melting of ice caps suspending spores of this anthrax in permafrost. It killed thousands of reindeers and affected dozens of people.
Not all impacts were negative instead some emerging microbes added immense scientific value like –
– Researchers collected surface meltwater from eight glaciers in Europe and North America and two sites on the Greenland ice cap. They found tens of thousands of microorganisms in every milliliter of water. This enabled them to predict that about 650,000 tonnes of carbon is released in a year for next 80 years in the Northern hemisphere due to dumping of bacteria and algae from these glaciers. This helped them foresee the consequences of climate change and global warming and design the timeframe for risk and conservative measures.
– Antibiotics produced by ancient bacteria served best in fighting against antibiotic resistant pathogens, thus producing better life saving drugs.
– Enzymes obtained from these microbes are well adapted for colder temperatures thus could be used in food processing, medicines and even in space explorations.
What Happens Next?
So now comes the questions what’s next?
Due to faster melting of glaciers, scientists are racing against time to categorize and analyze these microscopical bodies into harmful and harmless groups.
Hence, the expansion of research efforts to study emerging microbes or developing early warning system to detect the category is vital before exposure to mankind.
While if these efforts are tedious and time consuming we are left with the only option which is to reduce the climate change impact to delay the process of melting glaciers thus pushing away the outbreak of these organisms to current world.
This is to note that – “As the ice is melting its evident that the unexplored microscopical world is awaiting for reawakening.”
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