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Spaceward Bound: Mojave Expedition

Spaceward Bound: Mojave Expedition. 2nd Online Training Session February 13, 2007. Welcome !!!. Science Themes. Desert soil: Soil microbiology, soil oxidants, and soil formation. Geology: Volcanoes, rocks, Amboy crater, Cima lava flows and geology.

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Spaceward Bound: Mojave Expedition

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  1. Spaceward Bound:Mojave Expedition 2nd Online Training Session February 13, 2007 Welcome !!!

  2. Science Themes • Desert soil: Soil microbiology, soil oxidants, and soil formation. • Geology: Volcanoes, rocks, Amboy crater, Cima lava flows and geology. • Photosynthesis: desert hypolithic algae, cyanobacterial soil crusts, and stromatolites. • Caves and lava tubes, paleolakes, and remote sensing

  3. Agenda • Introduction (Liza) • Science (Chris, Jim, Henry) • Photosynthesis (Theme 3) • Hypolithic algae under stones • Photosynthetic layers in Badwater salt mat • Stromatolites of the Crystal Springs Formation • Soil microbiology (Theme 1) • Transect: dry to wet • Soil microbiology studies • Modeling of soil physics and water state to correlate with microbiology • Soil organic analysis • Wrap up and Homework !!!

  4. On the phone • Dr. James Nienow • Valdosta State University, Valdosta, GA • jnienow@valdosta.edu • Dr. Henry Sun • Desert Research Institute, Las Vegas, NV • henry.sun@dri.edu

  5. Spaceward Bound MojaveScience Themes • Photosynthesis- hypolithic cyanobacteria- salt mats- stromatolites • Soil Microbiology- microbial number- life/dead ratios- soil organics & oxidants

  6. Photosynthesis • Photosynthesis is the ultimate base for virtually all ecosystems • Life on the surface is Mars = Is there photosynthesis on the surface of Mars • We are studying photosynthesis in dry and cold environments (Mars-like)

  7. What is a hypolith?

  8. Colonized Stones in the Atacama Desert Warren-Rhodes et al. Micro. Ecol. 2005

  9. Microbial mat from Badwater salt flats in Death Valley

  10. Wierzchos etal 2006.

  11. Stromatolites from the Crystal Springs carbonate formation from the Mojave Desert. Evidence of photosynthesis over a billion years ago.

  12. Soil Microbiology • Microbial number and diversity variations from dry to wet- culture methods- non culture methods • Live/dead ratios and turnover rates • Presence of organic material in soils • Presence of oxidants in soils

  13. Hyperarid, < 1 mm/yr 5 mm/yr 25 mm/yr

  14. Mars-like soils in the Atacama Desert; compare Mojave • Organics drop to low levels in the arid core. • Oxidized organics increase in relative concentration • Places with no culturable microorganisms • Places with no recoverable DNA • Abiotic consumption of organic material

  15. Mars-like soils? Viking 2 lander: water frost on Mars

  16. The Viking Biology Experiments

  17. Upcoming Events • Training • 2 more • Wed., Mar. 7, noon PST • Two of the science themes • More logistics and Q & A • Wed., Mar. 21, noon PDT • Final preparations • Goal • By the end of the training broadcasts you each will be able to decide whether you want to focuson only one or sample them all • Homework !!!

  18. Homework p.1 Read: • On Spaceward Bound Resources page under Interesting Readings: • “Desert Landforms and Surface Processes in the Mojave National Preserve and Vicinity” • “The camels of the prokaryotic world” • “Levels of Bacterial Community diversity in Four Arid Soils Compared by Cultivation and 16S rRNA Gene Cloning” • On the web: • http://lsweb.la.asu.edu/fgarcia-pichel • Click on Research on the bottom of the page • http://www.soilcrust.org (USGS)

  19. Homework p.2 Write a letter to your teacher leader • Tell him/her about your class and your school • Include the good things and the bad things • Go deeper than just “I teach 6th grade science.” • Tell him/her: • What you are looking forward to during the expedition • What’s you’re worried/unsure about

  20. Spaceward Bound:Mojave Expedition 2nd Online Training Session February 13, 2007 Thanks for joining us

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