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'''Las Tablas''' is the capital of the [[Panama|Panamanian]] province of [[Los Santos]]. It is located a few kilometers inland from the [[Gulf of Panama]] on the [[Azuero Peninsula]]. Las Tablas is a recognized as a national center of folk: [[Folk art|art]], [[Folk music|music]], and [[Folklore|literature]]. The only [[President of Panama|Panamanian president]] to serve three terms, [[Belisario Porras Barahona]], was from Las Tablas.
{{Infobox_lake
|lake_name = Lake Vida
|image_lake = Lake_Vida.png
|caption_lake = Lake Vida's approximate ___location on the continent of [[Antarctica]]
|image_bathymetry =
|caption_bathymetry =
|coords = {{coor dm|77|23|S|161|56|E}}
|type = [[Endorheic]]
|inflow = Victoria River and Kite Stream
|outflow =
|catchment = Vida Basin
|basin_countries = Governed under the [[Antarctic Treaty System]]
|length = 5 km
|width =
|area = 6.8 sq. km
|depth = Undetermined
|max-depth = 5 m (estimate)
|volume = Undetermined
|shore =
|elevation = 351.0 m
|islands = None
|cities = None
}}
It is known for a lively yearly [[Carnival]], in which the town splits into two competing factions, "Calle Ariba" (Uptown, literally "Street Above") and "Calle Abajo" (Downtown / Street Below), centered on two streets of the same name. Each faction will have a carnival queen, parade, fireworks, decorated plaza, all attempting to top the other faction's efforts.
'''Lake Vida''' lies in [[Victoria Land|Victoria Valley]], one of the [[McMurdo Dry Valleys]], on the continent of [[Antarctica]]. Lake Vida is one of the largest lakes in a class of closed-basin [[endorheic]] lakes in the McMurdo Dry Valley region. The top waters of Lake Vida are frozen year-round to at least a depth of at least 19 meters forming an ice-seal over [[brine|briny]] waters that are 7 times as [[saline]] as [[seawater]]<ref>Doren, P. T. ''et al.'' (2003) [http://www.pubmedcentral.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=140872 Formation and character of an ancient 19-m ice cover and underlying trapped brine in an “ice-sealed” east Antarctic lake]. ''Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA'', '''100''', 26–31 (doi: 10.1073/pnas.222680999)</ref>. The high salinity allow for the lake bottom waters to remain liquid despite an average yearly temperature of -10C. This combination of lake features make Lake Vida a unique lake ecosystem on [[Earth]]<ref>[http://www.dri.edu/People/cfritsen/grads/Mosier.html Desert Research Institute] from the homepage of Dr. Annika Mosier</ref>.
The lake gained widespread recognition in [[December 2002]] when scientists announced the discovery of 2,800 year old [[halophile]] [[microbes]] preserved in ice layer core samples drilled in [[1996]]<ref>National Science Foundation [http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/02/pr02100.htm press release] for Doren ''et al.'' (2003)</ref>. The microbes reanimated upon [[thawing]], grew and [[reproduction|reproduced]]. Due to this discovery and the freezing mechanisms forming Lake Vida's ice-seal, Lake Vida is now noted as a ___location for research into Earth's [[climate]] and life under extreme conditions, specifically the [[fauna]] that could have existed on [[Mars]]. The unmanned Lake Vida Meteorological Station monitors conditions around the lake year round for such scientific study<ref>[http://huey.colorado.edu/LTER/datasets/meteorology/vida.html Lake Vida Meteorology Station]</ref><ref>[http://www.glaciers.pdx.edu/McMurdoVT/Vida.html 360° Panorama] from Lake Vida Meteorologic Station</ref>.
== Hydrology ==
Lake Vida has at least two named inflows, Victoria River and Kite Stream. Victoria River passes through the Vida Basin into Victoria Valley, [[Victorialand]] as [[ephemeral]] [[glacial]] meltwater from the Upper Victoria Glacier, draining from Upper Victoria Lake to finally drain into the west end of Lake Vida. Kite Stream is also located in the Vida Basin and flows as ephemeral glacial meltwater west from the Victoria Lower Glacier into the east end of Lake Vida. The [[United States Geological Survey|United States Geological Survey's]] Altas of Antarctic Research maps up to nine Lake Vida inflows or outflows including Victoria River and Kite Stream. The inflows and outflows are normally dry due to average annual temperatures from -15 to -30C at Lake Vida. Meltwater flows for a few weeks in the summer months when temperatures rise sufficiently for the nearby glaciers to melt. The McMurdo Dry Valleys are classified as extreme [[desert]], the area receives less than 10 cm of [[snow]] [[precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]] a year, this snow builds the nearby glaciers.
The lake itself has no permanent human settlements. The nearby Lake Vida Meteorological Station is unmanned, sending meteorlogical data to McMurdo Dry Valleys Long Term Ecological Research organization. The closest human settlement is [[Scott Base|Scott Base McMurdo]]. In addition to the unmmaned observation station, a five day emergency supply of food for six people is cached 600 meters from the southwestern shore. Research teams establish temporary camps from which research activities are conducted on short term basis in the summer months.
== Geology ==
=== Main geological features ===
In the vicinity of Lake Vida, a variety of geological features are noted, the most significant being glaciers, lakes, valleys, ridges, and summits. There are approximately 25 named glaciers within a 25 km radius with the nearest being Upper Victoria Glacier, Packard Glacier, Clark Glacier, and Clio Glacier. In the same radius, there are approximately 14 named ridges with the nearest being Robertsons Ridge, Helios Ridge, and Nottage Ridge. In addition to Victoria Valley, there are 16 named valleys with the nearest being Sanford Valley, Barwick Valley and McKelvey Valley. In addition to Upper Victoria Lake that feeds Lake Vida with meltwater, there are approximately 11 other lakes, the nearest being Lake Thomas. The summits around Lake Vida are as follows, Mautino Peak, Mount Saga, Mount Allen, Mount Theseus, Mount Cerberus, Mount Insel, Nickell Peak, and Sponsors Peak
=== Other geological features ===
Other more minor features include benches, cliffs, gaps, and streams.<ref>[http://usarc.usgs.gov/ant-ogc-viewer/viewer.htm USGS USGS Atlas of Antarctic Research]</ref>
== Natural History ==
Kite stream is named after a researcher, James Kite, who found numerous [[meteorite]]s in the area (1977-1978)<ref>[http://aadc-maps.aad.gov.au/aadc/gaz/display_name.cfm?gaz_id=127453 Kite Stream], Australian Antarctic Data Center</ref>.
== History ==
Lake Vida lies north of Mount Cerberus in the Victoria Valley of Victoria Land. Named by the VUWAE (1958-59) after Vida (Vaida), a sledge dog of the BrAE, 1910-13. Lake Vida was originally thought to be frozen to the lakebed.
== Economy ==
Lake Vida has no noted economic features. Any commerical benefits from the scientific expiditions to Lake Vida are indirect.
== Lists ==
=== Microbial species ===
The microbial species cataloged at the lake are as follows:
* Acanthocystis sp.
* Actinophyrys sp.
* Alloptes stercorarii (Common name Mite)
* Bodo sp.
* Chilodonella sp.
* Epistylis sp.
* Euplotes sp.
* Halteria sp.
* Homalozoon sp.
* Nassula sp.
* Nassula sp.
* Oxytricha sp.
* Philodina spp.
* Pleuronema sp.
* Podophrya sp.
* Pyxidium sp.
* Saprophilus sp.
* Spathidium sp.
* Sphaerophrya sp.
* Tydeus setsukoae
* Unknown sp. (Common name Water bear)
* Vorticella sp.
=== Algae species ===
The following algae species have been cateloged at the lake:
* Bryum argenteum
* Bryum pseudotriquetrum
* Bryum subrotundifolium
* Cephaloziella exiliflora
* Ceratodon purpureus
* Didymodon gelidus
* Grimmia antarctici
* Grimmia sp.
* Lepraria sp.
* Pottia heimii
* Sarconeurum glaciale<ref>[http://aadc-maps.aad.gov.au/aadc/biodiversity/species_near_place.cfm?lat=-77.38333330&lon=161.95&offset=1.0 Australian Antarctic Data Center, SCAR Gazetteer]</ref>
== Notes ==
<references />
== References ==
*[http://www.geocities.com/tour_pty/Santos3.htm Cuna del Folklore Nacional ] (Spanish) Retrieved March 27, 2005
* [http://huey.colorado.edu/diatoms/waterbodies/waterbody_summary.php?pageNum_rs_waterbodies=21&totalRows_rs_waterbodies=24&waterbody_ID=8 Antartic Freshwater Diatoms]
*[http://www.panamatours.com/Magazine/magazine_a_eng.htm Las Tablas Carnival info and pictures]
* [http://aadc-maps.aad.gov.au/aadc/gaz/display_name.cfm?gaz_id=133257 Antartic Names]
*[http://www.thepanamareport.com/geeklog/public_html/article.php?story=lastablaspanama Las Tablas Panama Information]
* [http://www.dri.edu/People/cfritsen/grads/Mosier.html Desert Research Institute, the homepage of Dr. Annika Mosier]
* [http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/icds/projects/vida.html Ice Coring and Drilling Services Space Science and Engineering Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison]
* [http://quest.nasa.gov/antarctica/background/NSF/field-guide/append.html Lake Vida cache]
* [http://cips.berkeley.edu/newsclips/021216-3/ Nature Science Update]
* [http://usarc.usgs.gov/ant-ogc-viewer/viewer.htm USGS Atlas of Antarctic Research]
== See also ==
* [[Astrobiology]]
* [[Extremophile]]
== External links ==
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2581485.stm BBC Lake Water Secret]
* [http://daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/L/LakeVida.html David Darling info]
* [http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/02/pr02100.htm Environmental hazard at Lake Vida]
* [http://www.pubmedcentral.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=140872&rendertype=figure&id=F1 Lake Vida bathymetry]
* [http://huey.colorado.edu/LTER/datasets/meteorology/vida.html Lake Vida Meteorological Station Measurments, an interactive source of Lake Vida meteorological data]
* [http://www.mcmlter.org/queries/met/get_met_tables.jsp?metStation=VIAM McMurdo Dry Valleys Long Term Ecological Research VIAM data tables]
* [http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/?id=VIDA.NSF Newswise]
* [http://lava.nationalgeographic.com/cgi-bin/pod/PhotoOfTheDay.cgi?day=25&month=1&year=04 Unpublished National Geographic photo]
* [http://www.sethwhite.org/hucks%20pics%20from%20lake%20vida.htm Images of Antartica, a photo personal photo collection]
* [http://antarcticsun.usap.gov/oldissues99-2000/2000_0206/vida.html Environmental commentary]
[[Category:Lakes of the World|Vida, Lake]]
[[Category:Lakes of Antarctica|Vida, Lake]]
[[Category:Endorheic lakes|Vida, Lake]]
[[Category:Ross Dependency|Vida, Lake]]
[[Category:Cities in Panama]]
[[nl:Vidameer]]
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{{Panama-geo-stub}}
[[pl:Las Tablas]]
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