Astrobiologist Dale Andersen's Field Reports

Scientist Dale Andersen prepares to dive in Lake Untersee in Queen Maud Land in Antarctica. Andersen and colleagues will dive in Lake Joyce in the McMurdo Dry Valleys this season to study unusual microbial communities that grow coral reef-like structures. Photo Courtesy: Dale Andersen

Photo: Steam rises from the carbonate terraces that form at the Colour Peak perennial spring (N79*22.866' W091*16.270'). Colour Peak, a salt dome, is in the background. Photo: Dale Andersen (c)2009

There are several regions on Earth where mean annual temperatures are well below freezing and yet liquid water persists. Such polar regions provide excellent analogs to study the hydrological cycle under conditions that have prevailed in the polar desert environment of Mars.

Photo above: Looking west, Expedition Fiord, Axel Heiberg Island, Nunavut, Canada

Dale Andersen: Wayne Pollard and I just returned from a 30 km run (by skidoo) out to the mouth of Expedition Fiord where we have one in a series of five automated weather stations on an environmental gradient to help characterize spatial variability and regional microclimates.

Wayne Pollard just took off from the CSA camp and is heading back 'home' to the McGill Arctic Research Station camp. Its getting dark and the light is pretty flat, so I am not too far behind. Tomorrow we will head over to Colour Peak Springs to work there a bit. Departure photo below.

A Canadian Armed Forces Twin Otter dropped by for a surprise visit today in preparation for the Canadian Rangers patrol that will be here in two weeks. Departure photo below.

McGill Arctic Research Station (MARS) Last night (28 March 2009) McGill Arctic Research Station (MARS) located at 79 deg 26' N, 90 deg 46'W [Photo credit: Dale Andersen]