Natural dust is often associated with hot, subtropical deserts, but significant dust events have
been reported from cold, high latitudes. This review synthesizes current understanding of …

Persistently cold environments constitute one of our world's largest ecosystems, and
microorganisms dominate the biomass and metabolic activity in these extreme …

Climate observations from the McMurdo dry valleys, East Antarctica are presented from a
network of seven valley floor automatic meteorological stations during the period 1986 to …

The average air temperature at the Earth's surface has increased by 0.06° C per decade
during the 20th century, and by 0.19° C per decade from 1979 to 1998. Climate models …

Microbial communities in extreme environments often have low diversity and specialized
physiologies suggesting a limited resistance to change. The McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) …

The permanent ice covers of Antarctic lakes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys develop liquid
water inclusions in response to solar heating of internal aeolian-derived sediments. The ice …

Snowfall was measured at 11 sites in the McMurdo Dry Valleys to determine its magnitude,
its temporal changes, and spatial patterns. Annual values ranged from 3 to 50 mm water …

Using a validated general circulation model, we determine where and for how long the
surface pressure and surface temperature on Mars meet the minimum requirements for the …

Research in low biodiversity extreme environments allows separation of the climatic, soil
and biological interactions that determine soil biodiversity and community structure. Studies …

Setting The McMurdo Dry Valleys exist because the Transantarctic Mountains block much of
the flow of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet toward McMurdo Sound (Chinn 1990). In addition, at …