9,749
edits
Difference between revisions of "Mount Erebus"
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
no edit summary
Westarctica (talk | contribs) (Source of article predominately from Wikipedia article on Mount Erebus) |
Westarctica (talk | contribs) |
||
| Line 14: | Line 14: | ||
==Ice fumaroles== | ==Ice fumaroles== | ||
Mt. Erebus is notable for its numerous [[ | Mt. Erebus is notable for its numerous [[ice]] fumaroles – ice towers that form around gases that escape from vents in the surface. The life present around these fumaroles is sparse, mainly bacteria and fungi, which makes it of special interest for studying oligotrophs – organisms that can survive on minimal amounts of resources. | ||
The caves on Erebus are of special interest for astrobiology, as most surface caves are influenced by human activities, or by organics from the surface brought in by animals (e.g. bats) or ground water. The caves at Erebus are at high altitude, yet accessible for study. Almost no chance exists of photosynthetic-based organics, or of animals in a food chain based on photosynthetic life, and no overlying soil to wash down into them. | The caves on Erebus are of special interest for astrobiology, as most surface caves are influenced by human activities, or by organics from the surface brought in by animals (e.g. bats) or ground water. The caves at Erebus are at high altitude, yet accessible for study. Almost no chance exists of photosynthetic-based organics, or of animals in a food chain based on photosynthetic life, and no overlying soil to wash down into them. | ||