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6 - Saline lakes and ponds in the McMurdo Dry Valleys: ecological analogs to martian paleolake environments

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 July 2010

By
Jill Mikucki ,
W. Berry Lyons ,
Ian Hawes ,
Brian D. Lanoil  and
Peter T. Doran
Edited by
Peter T. Doran ,
W. Berry Lyons  and
Diane M. McKnight
Peter T. Doran
Affiliation:
University of Illinois, Chicago
W. Berry Lyons
Affiliation:
Ohio State University
Diane M. McKnight
Affiliation:
University of Colorado, Boulder
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Summary

Introduction

On the basis of the prevalence of cold environments in our solar system, the search for extraterrestrial life is focused largely on icy habitats. The McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) area is a polar desert with a mean annual temperature below freezing and extremely low humidity (Wharton et al.,1995) and thus offers a suitable earthly analog to our nearest exobiological candidate, Mars. Water is thought to have been abundant on Mars early in its geological history (Solomon et al., 2005; Squyres et al., 2006; Head and Marchant, this volume, Chapter 2) and perhaps may even have flowed across the surface more recently (Hauber et al., 2005; Head et al., 2005; Malin et al., 2006). Life as we know it requires the presence of liquid water to mediate biochemical reactions for energy as well as a reasonably stable environment in which to grow; therefore the search for extraterrestrial life has been largely a search for environments where liquid water can be maintained for some duration (e.g., Carr, 1983).

There is significant geomorphological evidence, and mounting physical evidence supporting the presence of paleolakes on ancient Mars (Squyres et al., 2006). This intrigues exobiologists because paleolakes would provide a suitable habitat for early martian life forms (Carr, 1983; Wharton et al., 1995; Doran et al., 2004). Lakes on the martian surface would have become progressively colder over geological time, developing seasonal and eventually perennial ice covers (Carr, 1983).

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Chapter
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Life in Antarctic Deserts and other Cold Dry Environments
Astrobiological Analogs
 , pp. 160 - 194
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2010

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