Life in the Atacama: Searching for life with rovers (science overview)

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Read Full Article (file size: 1156033 bytes) Cited by JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 112, G04S02, doi:10.1029/2006JG000298, 2007 Life in the Atacama: Searching for life with rovers (science overview) Nathalie A. Cabrol Space Sciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA SETI Institute, Mountain View, California, USA David Wettergreen Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Kim Warren-Rhodes Space Sciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA SETI Institute, Mountain View, California, USA Edmond A. Grin Space Sciences Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA SETI Institute, Mountain View, California, USA Jeffrey Moersch Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA Guillermo Chong Diaz Universidad Catolica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile Charles S. Cockell Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute, Open University, Milton Keynes, UK Peter Coppin Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Cecilia Demergasso Universidad Catolica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile James M. Dohm Hydrology and Water Resources Department, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA Lauren Ernst Department of Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Gregory Fisher Department of Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Justin Glasgow Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA Craig Hardgrove Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA Andrew N. Hock Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA Dominic Jonak Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Lucia Marinangeli International Research School of Planetary Sciences, Pescara, Italy Edwin Minkley Department of Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Gian Gabriele Ori International Research School of Planetary Sciences, Pescara, Italy Jennifer Piatek Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA Erin Pudenz Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA Trey Smith Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Kristen Stubbs Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Geb Thomas Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA David Thompson Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Alan Waggoner Department of Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Michael Wagner Robotics Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Shmuel Weinstein Department of Biology, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Michael Wyatt Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA Abstract The Life in the Atacama project investigated the regional distribution of life and habitats in the Atacama Desert of Chile. We sought to create biogeologic maps through survey traverses across the desert using a rover carrying biologic and geologic instruments. Elements of our science approach were to: Perform ecological transects from the relatively wet coastal range to the arid core of the desert; use converging evidence from science instruments to reach conclusions about microbial abundance; and develop and test exploration strategies adapted to the search of scattered surface and shallow subsurface microbial oases. Understanding the ability of science teams to detect and characterize microbial life signatures remotely using a rover became central to the project. Traverses were accomplished using an autonomous rover in a method that is technologically relevant to Mars exploration. We present an overview of the results of the 2003, 2004, and 2005 field investigations. They include: The confirmed identification of microbial habitats in daylight by detecting fluorescence signals from chlorophyll and dye probes; the characterization of geology by imaging and spectral measurement; the mapping of life along transects; the characterization of environmental conditions; the development of mapping techniques including homogeneous biological scoring and predictive models of habitat location; the development of exploration strategies adapted to the search for life with an autonomous rover capable of up to 10 km of daily traverse; and the autonomous detection of life by the rover as it interprets observations on-the-fly and decides which targets to pursue with further analysis. Received 27 August 2006; accepted 9 May 2007; published 1 September 2007. Index Terms: 0456 Biogeosciences: Life in extreme environments; 6225 Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects: Mars; 0452 Biogeosciences: Instruments and techniques; 9360 Geographic Location: South America; 0448 Biogeosciences: Geomicrobiology. Read Full Article (file size: 1156033 bytes) Cited by Citation: Cabrol, N. A., et al. (2007), Life in the Atacama: Searching for life with rovers (science overview), J. Geophys. Res., 112, G04S02, doi:10.1029/2006JG000298. Copyright 2007 by the American Geophysical Union.

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