Antarctica is big

Really big. Wikipedia have same scale maps for comparison. The Antarctic map is ice covered so is larger than the ice-free continent would be, but it is still remarkably large: twice Australia; similar to Russia; half Africa.

Area (million square kilometres)

Antarctica: 14
Australia: 8.6
Russia: 17.1
Africa: 30.4

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Jordan to search for objects at the bottom of the Dead Sea

Objects identified from NASA images of the bottom of the Dead Sea are being investigated by Jordan.

A Russian company has agreed to conduct the search in cooperation with Jordanian authorities, picking up all costs—in exchange for exclusive rights to film a documentary of the search.

The search is being made for Sodom and Gomorrah. The locations of Sodom and Gomorrah are not clear, though it is likely near the Dead Sea. The sea itself postdates the destruction of the cites. Shortly before their destruction they fought the northern kings in the location of the Dead Sea.

In the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, these kings made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar). And all these joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea). Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. (Genesis 14:1-4 ESV)

The Salt Sea being a reference to the Dead Sea. This indicates that a sea was a later state of the geography, but was actually a valley at the time.

The Siddim Valley was full of tar

Now the Valley of Siddim was full of bitumen pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into them, and the rest fled to the hill country. (Genesis 14:10 ESV)

Chedorlaomer defeated the southern kingdoms and carried off Lot who was then dwelling in Sodom. Subsequently Abraham attacked the northern confederation and rescued Lot.

I am unfamiliar with the geography of the region, but we know that Sodom and the associated cities were located in the region of the Jordan Valley.

And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. (Genesis 13:10-12 ESV)

What is to be found by the explorers should be of interest.

Russian team drilling to largest Antarctic lake

Lake Vostok

Russians are drilling 4 km down to a lake in Antarctica. They have pulled out for the winter but only have a few metres to go. Apparently there is enough geothermal activity below the lake to maintain liquid water at little below 0 °C. The ice above is somewhat insulating making the lake conditions seem positively tropical compared to the surface.

With the rapid onset of winter, scientists will be forced to leave on the last flight out for this season, on Feb 6.

"It's minus 40 (Celsius) outside," Turkeyev said. "But whatever, we're working. We're feeling good. There's only 5 meters left until we get to the lake so it'll all be very soon."

Antarctica: location of Lake Vostok

Though even –40 °C is to be preferred to –90 °C.

Lake Vostok is the largest known lake in Antarctica at 150 km × 50 km and estimated to be more than 900 m deep. Though pitch black it is thought to contain high quantities of oxygen, thus may host a variety of organisms. It is proposed to be a fresh water lake.