To investigate whether life might exist in this harsh landscape, Benison and her graduate student, Francis Karmanocky III, collected some of the crystals and shaved slivers off for study. When the researchers shined a light through the samples and peered at them through a microscope, they were amazed by the diversity of life trapped within the crystal layers. They observed single-celled organisms known as prokaryotes, as well as green algae, including a variety of green algae called diatoms that are encased in silica armor. Some of the microorganisms were entombed in the crystals themselves, trapped in coffins that slowly grew around them. Oftentimes, though, they were found in tiny bubbles filled with air or water.
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Physics Buzz: Chile’s Volcanic Lakes May Hint At Where To Look For Life On Mars
Conditions in the region are too dry for rain or snow, so Salars Gorbea and Ignorado are only sustained by upwelling groundwater that has been turned extremely salty and acidic through interactions with the surrounding volcanic rocks. “We think the water is interacting with the magma chambers,” …
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Wowsers 🙂