Sterile Soil from Antarctica: Organic Analysis

Soils from the dry-valley region of Antarctica can be sterile by the usual microbiological criteria and yet contain significant amounts of organic carbon. Examination of one such soil shows that the organic material is finely divided anthracite coal. These findings have significant implications for...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science
Main Authors: Horowitz, N. H., Bauman, A. J., Cameron, R. E., Geiger, P. J., Hubbard, J. S., Shulman, G. P., Simmonds, P. G., Westberg, K.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 1969
Subjects:
Antarc*
Antarctica
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.164.3883.1054
https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.164.3883.1054
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Summary:Soils from the dry-valley region of Antarctica can be sterile by the usual microbiological criteria and yet contain significant amounts of organic carbon. Examination of one such soil shows that the organic material is finely divided anthracite coal. These findings have significant implications for the biological exploration of Mars.

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