Microorganisms Live beneath Thin Layers of Rock (IMAGE)

U.S. Army Research Laboratory

Microorganisms Live beneath Thin Layers of Rock

Caption

In Northern Chile's Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth, microorganisms live beneath thin layers of rock to gain some protection from harsh winds and solar radiation. Water, although limited, is stored as a structural element within these rocks.

Credit

(Courtesy David Kisailus, University of California - Irvine)

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