"Russian scientists are on the verge of punching a hole into a vast Antarctic lake that's buried under more than two miles of ice.

If the Russians break through, they may tap into and disturb a primitive and pristine ecosystem that has been untouched for millions of years.

Lake Vostok is actually the third largest lake in the world, measured by the amount of water it holds. And if you're surprised to learn that there could be a vast pool of liquid water under two miles of ice, so were the Soviets."

Richard Harris reports for NPR's Morning Edition February 3, 2011. [2]