Published: 3rd May, 2024
Context
Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery of microbial life thriving 13 feet below the parched surface of Chile's Atacama Desert, representing the deepest known microbial community found in the region.
Key Highlights:
- The newly uncovered microbial world is nestled beneath the arid terrain of the Atacama Desert's Yungay Valley.
- It presents an unprecedented finding and could offer valuable insights into the search for life on Mars.
- Previously, microbial life had been observed at depths of up to 2.6 feet (80 centimeters) in the Atacama Desert. However, the newly discovered biosphere in the Yungay Valley lies entirely isolated from the surface, making it a unique and significant discovery.
- This hidden microbial community occupies soils ranging from 6.6 feet to at least 13 feet deep, predominantly comprising Actinobacteria—a diverse group of bacteria known to inhabit extreme environments such as Arctic regions, hot springs, and saline environments.
About Atacama Desert:
- Situated in the Yungay Valley, the Atacama Desert stands as one of the most arid regions on Earth, located on the Tropic of Capricorn in northern
- The desert is characterized by its extreme dryness, with only one river from the Andes mountainsmanaging to reach the ocean through this barren landscape.
- As the driest hot desert globally, the Atacama receives abundant sunshine comparable to that of Venus.
- While its harsh conditions support only a handful of resilient animal species, including Darwin's leaf-eared mouse and the South American gray fox, certain bacteria thrive in the desert's saline and mineral-rich soils.
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