The size and extremity of the magnetic anomaly indicated the geological structure changes beneath the lake, and Studinger guessed it might be a region where the earth's crust is thinner. To create the type of topography found at Lake Vostok, the earth's crust was probably stretched, thinning one to three percent as it pulled taut, Studinger said. While the SOAR team flew, charting the lake from above, Studinger set up seismic stations to study the lake through the ground. He'll learn more about the crustal structure under the lake from the way seismic waves travel from earthquakes around the world travel through the lake. In 22 days the sensors recorded eight earthquakes, including a 6.9 magnitude quake near Kodiak, Alaska.
Researchers are also interested in the interaction between the ice sheet and the water beneath.
The ice sheet moves over the lake at about four meters a year. As it moves, it scrapes the ground and carries particles into the lake. Insulated beneath the ice, the water is warmed by the earth itself. The warm water at the bottom of the lake then rises and melts the bottom of the ice sheet in places, so small currents circulate through the lake. But all these observations are done through the ice.