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Published online 28 July 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.986
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Scientists to dive to the bottom of the world's deepest lake
Russian team explores the depths of Lake Baikal.
In an adventure worthy of Jules Verne, Russian scientists are preparing to dive to a depth of 1,637 metres — the very bottom of Siberia’s Lake Baikal.
The team will make its first attempt at the record dive tomorrow, using the manned submersibles MIR 1 and MIR 2 — already famous for their performance in the movie Titanic.
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This would be an amazing experience for the entire world, especially for scientists working in the field of marine geology, plate tectonics, gas hydrate research. May be this could also prove some of the unsolved enigmas in the field of earth sciences! Russian submersibles are very reliable and has simplicity in its operations too. -Dr.C.P.Priju Department of Marine Geology and Geophysics Cochin University of Science and Technology Cochin, India prijupoulose@yahoo.com
After completing my MSc in Moscow in 1976, I went to Siberia in a "student's building camp" to earn some money and have some fun. We worked in an unfinished railway station called Khabarovsk, 10 h flight to Siberia (Irkutsk) and then by train. Near Irkutsk we were taken to see lake Baikal and it was summer so we had a dip, not for long because it was still cold. This railway was built north of trans Siberian line to exploit the wealth from Siberia. It was heavy work but we prevailed.
Besides the major research focus of the project, it can also be used to explore the microbial diversity at such an extreme environment. Inferences can be drawn regarding the ancient microbes and the community structure