4. Long-Frozen Microbes Will Be Re-Released into the World

Antarctica’s melting ice isn’t just going to add a large amount of water to the planet. That would be bad enough. It’s also going to uncover organisms that have been frozen under the ice for millions of years. In 2011, Chilean researchers studied microbes living in the Antarctic ice and learned some surprising things. These microbes, they found, were able to withstand extremely cold temperatures.

The microbes were able to survive in environments with high salt concentrations, extreme acidity and alkalinity, and temperatures as high as 200°F (93.3°C). One of the microbes was found to withstand radiation 5,000 times more intense than any other organism on Earth has ever experienced. All this despite being found 50 feet (15 meters) beneath the ice surface—suggesting these organisms are very strong and potentially deadly.

There is a lack of consensus among researchers as to the purpose of certain microbes. For now, they have not ruled out any theories. But there has been significant debate surrounding the discoveries. Plus, additional samples from other bodies of water seem to have supported the Chilean’s initial findings.

This lake, located beneath a mile of ice in West Antarctica, produced samples unlike anything else on Earth. They were so unique that they were used as evidence for the possibility of life existing in extreme conditions in space. But scientists don’t know what it means for us! It is unclear what the consequences could be when these microbes are released. The most apocalyptic among us wonder whether it could bring mass disease and an end to life as we know it…^[7]

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