Microbial Response to Increased Temperatures Within a Lava-Induced Hydrothermal System in Iceland: An Analogue for the Habitability of Volcanic Terrains on Mars

Duhamel, S., Hamilton, C. W., Pálsson, S., & Björnsdóttir, S. H.

Astrobiology.

Dr. Duhamel and colleagues published on their investigation of microbial communities in a lava-water system in Iceland as a Mars analogue. They found that several groups of microorganisms may have been heat-loving, spore formers and from deep beneath the surface. They also found that the increase in water temperature following interaction with the lava likely stimulated the growth of different groups of microorganisms. Similar lava–water interactions on Mars could therefore have generated habitable environments for microbial communities.

Link to paper: https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2021.0124