| Mercer Subglacial Lake | |
|---|---|
| PPT-16 | |
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Antarctica_relief_location_map.jpg)  Mercer Subglacial Lake Location in West Antarctica | |
| Location | West Antarctica |
| Coordinates | 84°39′40″S 149°40′37″W / 84.661°S 149.677°W [1] |
| Type | Subglacial lake |
| Ocean/sea sources | Ross Sea |
| Max. length | 9 km (5.6 mi) |
| Surface area | 160 km2 (62 sq mi)[citation needed] |
| Average depth | 10–15 metres (33–49 ft) [citation needed] |
| Residence time | ~10 years |
Mercer Subglacial Lake is a subglacial lake in Antarctica covered by a sheet of ice 1,067 m (3,501 ft) thick; the water below is hydraulically active, with water replacement times on the order of a decade from the Ross Sea. Studies suggest that Mercer Subglacial Lake as well as other subglacial lakes appear to be linked, with drainage events in one reservoir causing filling and follow-on drainage in adjacent lakes.[2]
- ^ Wright, Andrew; Siegert, Martin (December 2012). "A fourth inventory of Antarctic subglacial lakes". Antarctic Science. 24 (6): 659–664. Bibcode:2012AntSc..24..659W. doi:10.1017/S095410201200048X. ISSN 0954-1020.
- ^ Connected subglacial lake activity on lower Mercer and Whillans Ice Streams, West Antarctica, 2003–2008. PDF) Helen Amanda Fricker, and Ted Scambos. Journal of Glaciology, Vol. 55, No. 190, 2009.