Life in Antarctic Deserts and other Cold Dry Environments

The lessons learned from studies of the dry valleys of Antarctica applied to the search for life on other planets.

Understanding if and how life might exist on other planets under extreme environmental conditions is best understood by seeing how life survives these conditions on Earth. Using the dry valleys of the Antarctic along with other examples, the detailed terrestrial research is brought together here, presented from an astrobiological perspective.The McMurdo Dry Valleys form the largest relatively ice-free area on the Antarctic continent. The perennially ice-covered lakes, ephemeral streams and extensive areas of exposed soil are subject to low temperatures, limited precipitation and salt accumulation. The dry valleys thus represent a region where life approaches its environmental limits. This unique ecosystem has been studied for several decades as an analog to environments on other planets, particularly Mars. For the first time, the detailed terrestrial research of the dry valleys is brought together here, presented from an astrobiological perspective. Chapters include a discussion on the history of research in the valleys, a geological background of the valleys, setting them up as analogs for Mars, followed by chapters on the various sub-environments in the valleys such as lakes, glaciers and soils. Includes concluding chapters on biodiversity and other analog environments on Earth.