Astrobiology:
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2002-09-24 | SCIENCE, EDUCATION
Search for Life at the Top of the World
Near the summit of a dormant
volcano in ChileÂs Atacama Desert lies the highest
lake in the world. At roughly 5900 meters (18,000 feet), the lake atop Licancabur
volcano is seared by ultraviolet radiation and starved for oxygen—a little
like Mars, although far less severe. A closer resemblance might be the Mars of
billions of years ago, when the
atmosphere may have been thicker and water
may have pooled on the surface. How the bottom of the Licancabur lake remains
liquid year-round is a puzzle—lingering
volcanic heat may melt the ice. Perhaps the remnants of Mars'
once vigorous volcanoes likewise melt
pockets of water. A team of researchers, including NASA Mars scientist Nathalie
Cabrol, will travel to the Chilean volcano in October to examine microorganisms
in the lake, to determine what kinds of extremophiles
can thrive in such a harsh environment. Accompanying the scientists up the rugged
slopes will be California students on a fieldtrip—a virtual
field trip, that is. Students in the classroom will be able to communicate
with the scientists over the internet and monitor the progress of the expedition.
The public is invited to join in the virtual field trip via the web at www.extremeenvironment.com,
beginning October 16.
Full text of original item
from Space.com, Sep 24, 2002
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