Russian Submarines

A short while ago i posted some pictures of some strange ice circles in Lake Baikal in Siberia. I can't find my post, but these Nasa images give the story.

Imagine my surprise yesterday while reading Pravda (in english) to come across the following information:

"The expedition to Lake Baikal started in 2008. This summer, researchers sought new species of flora and fauna, and dove down more than a mile (1.6 kilometers) to the deepest point of the lake, near Olkhon Island.

At the beginning of the summer, Mir-1 and Mir-2 worked in the southern part of the lake, and in early August the expedition moved to Baikal's north, where gas hydrates, cristalline solids where large amounts of methane are trapped within a cage of water molecules, were found. Gas hydrates are considered a possible alternative fuel."

The story relates to their next mission in the Atlantic, including the wreck of the Titanic. Very cool submarines i have to admit.

But beteen them, and the neutron telescope, Lake Baikal is a VERY busy place it seems. Pretty place too.