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Unlocking the potential of Antarctic permafrost to constrain climate models

Dry Valleys of Antarctica have extremely low temperatures, low humidity, salt accumulation, and a lack of snow cover.

Research conducted with airborne instruments shows the presence of salty, unfrozen groundwater in the bitterly cold rocks below the Antarctic surface. A new study detailing the findings suggests deep conduits for brine could exist throughout the Wright Valley in Antarctica’s McMurdo Dry Valleys, potentially connecting two of Earth’s saltiest bodies of water.

These coves, peaks, glaciers and other landmarks honor female explorers and scientists who have contributed to our understanding of the continent

The space-for-time substitution approach provides a valuable empirical assessment to infer temporal effects of disturbance from spatial gradients. Applied to predict the response of different ecosystems under current climate change scenarios, it remains poorly tested in microbial ecology studies, partly due to the trophic complexity of the ecosystems studied. The McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica represent a trophically simple polar desert projected to experience drastic changes in water availability under current climate change predictions. We used this ideal model system to develop and valid...