Geomicrobiological heterogeneity of lithic habitats in the extreme environment of Antarctic nunataks: a potential early Mars analog

• Published in: Frontiers in Microbiology
• Main Authors: Fernández-Martínez, Miguel Ángel, García-Villadangos, Miriam, Moreno Paz, Mercedes, Gangloff, Valentin, Carrizo, Daniel, Blanco, Yolanda, González Herrero, Sergi, Sánchez-García, Laura, Prieto-Ballesteros, Olga, Altshuler, Ianina, Whyte, Lyle G., Parro García, Victor, Fairén, Alberto G.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media 2021
• Subjects: Polar microbiology; Nunatak; Environmental microbiology; Terrestrial analogs; Astrobiology; Antarctic; Antarctic Peninsula; Livingston Island; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11765/13033

Nunataks are permanent ice-free rocky peaks that project above ice caps in polar regions, thus being exposed to extreme climatic conditions throughout the year. They undergo extremely low temperatures and scarcity of liquid water in winter, while receiving high incident and reflected (albedo) UVA-B...