Posted on: June 4, 2012
Branch / Organization: Space Science & Astrobiology Division
Spaceward Bound Visits the UAE
Research in the United Arab Emirates has focused on studying life in this extreme environment.
Scientists collected data to correlate microbial life, moisture content, and the presence of nitrates and perchlorate as the surface transitioned from coastal tidal flats in the north, gravel plains near the eastern mountains along the Oman border, and salt marshes, called “sabkha” (the Arabic word for a salt flat), nestled between sand dunes across the southern “Empty Quarter.” This work helps us understand the limits of terrestrial life as an analog for Mars.