Renowned Antarctic explorer dies

Prominent Russian geographer and explorer Andrey Kapitsa died today in Moscow aged 80.

Kapitsa took part in numerous important Soviet expeditions to the South Pole. He is famous for discovering the sub-glacial Lake Vostok in Antarctica.

The lake lies four kilometers beneath the ice and is considered the largest water reservoir of its kind in the South Pole. Scientists suspect the lake may be inhabited by unique microorganisms.

Kapitsa belonged to a family of highly-regarded scientists. His father was a Nobel laureate in physics, while his elder brother Sergey is an established physicist and demographer.

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