Inhlabathi yomfula onamatshe enkabeni ye-Antarctica ayikaze ibe nama-microorganisms.
Ngokokuqala ngqá, ososayensi bathole ukuthi kubonakala sengathi akukho kuphila emhlabathini ongaphezulu koMhlaba. Umhlabathi uvela ezingodini ezimbili ezivunguzayo, ezinamadwala phakathi ne-Antarctica, amakhilomitha angu-300 ukusuka eSouth Pole, lapho izinkulungwane zamamitha eqhwa zingena ezintabeni.
“Abantu bebelokhu becabanga ukuthi amagciwane aqinile futhi angahlala noma kuphi,” kusho uNoah Firer, isazi sezinto eziphilayo ezibangelwa amagciwane e-University of Colorado Boulder iqembu lakhe elifunda umhlabathi. Phela, izinto eziphilayo ezinengqamuzana elilodwa ziye zatholakala zihlala ezindaweni ezishisayo ezishisayo ezinamazinga okushisa angaphezu kuka-200 degrees Fahrenheit, emachibini angaphansi kwengxenye yekhilomitha yeqhwa e-Antarctica, ngisho namafidi angu-120 000 ngaphezu kwe-stratosphere Yomhlaba. Kodwa ngemva konyaka besebenza, uFerrer kanye nesitshudeni sakhe sobudokotela u-Nicholas Dragon abakazitholi izimpawu zokuphila enhlabathini yase-Antarctic abayiqoqile.
UFirer noDrakane bafunde inhlabathi esezintabeni eziyi-11 ezihlukene, ezimele izinhlobonhlobo zezimo. Lezo eziqhamuka ezindaweni eziphansi nezibandayo ezisezintabeni ziqukethe amagciwane nesikhunta. Kodwa kwezinye izintaba zezintaba ezimbili eziphakeme kakhulu, ezomile nezibanda kakhulu azikho izimpawu zokuphila.
“Ngeke sithi azinyumba,” kusho uFerrer. Izazi ze-microbiology zijwayele ukuthola izigidi zamangqamuzana esipunini senhlabathi. Ngakho-ke, inombolo encane kakhulu (isb. amaseli asebenzayo ayi-100) angase aphunyuke ekubonweni. "Kodwa ngokwazi kwethu, azinawo ama-microorganisms."
Ukuthi inhlabathi ethile ayinakho ngempela yini ukuphila noma kamuva kwatholakala ukuthi iqukethe amangqamuzana asaphila, okutholakele okusha okusanda kushicilelwa kumagazini i-JGR Biogeosciences kungasiza ekufuneni ukuphila ku-Mars. Inhlabathi yase-Antarctic iqhwa unomphela, igcwele usawoti onobuthi, futhi sekuyiminyaka eyizigidi ezimbili ingenawo amanzi awuketshezi—afana nenhlabathi yaseMartian.
Aqoqwe ngesikhathi sohambo oluxhaswa ngezimali yi-National Science Foundation ngoJanuwari 2018 ezindaweni ezikude Ezintabeni ZaseTransantarctic. Adlula phakathi nendawo yezwekazi, ehlukanisa ithafa eliphakeme elisezindaweni ezishisayo empumalanga neqhwa eliphansi entshonalanga. Ososayensi bamisa ikamu e-Shackleton Glacier, ibhande leqhwa elingamakhilomitha angu-60 eligeleza emhosheni ezintabeni. Basebenzise izindiza ezinophephela emhlane ukundizela ezindaweni eziphakeme futhi baqoqe amasampula behla benyuka phezu kweqhwa.
Ezintabeni ezifudumele, ezimanzi ngaphansi kweqhwa, ezingamakhulu ambalwa nje amamitha ngaphezu kogu lolwandle, bathola ukuthi inhlabathi yayihlala izilwane ezincane kunembewu kasesame: izibungu ezincane, ama-tardigrade anemilenze eyisishiyagalombili, ama-rotifers nezikelemu ezincane. okuthiwa ama-springtails. Izinambuzane ezinamaphiko. Le nhlabathi engenalutho, enesihlabathi iqukethe ngaphansi kwenkulungwane yenani lamagciwane atholakala otshanini obugaywe kahle, okwanele ukunikeza ukudla kwezilwane ezincane ezidla uhlaza ezicashe ngaphansi.
Kodwa lezi zimpawu zokuphila zanyamalala kancane kancane njengoba leli qembu livakashela izintaba eziphakeme ekujuleni kweqhwa. Phezulu kweqhwa, bavakashela izintaba ezimbili—iMount Schroeder neMount Roberts—ezingaphezu kwamamitha angu-7 000 ukuphakama.
Ukuvakashela eSchroeder Mountain kwakunonya, kukhumbula uByron Adams, isazi sezinto eziphilayo eBrigham Young University eProvo, e-Utah, owayehola lomsebenzi. Izinga lokushisa ngalolu suku lwasehlobo lisondele ku-0°F. Umoya oklabalasayo wawuhwamulisa kancane kancane iqhwa neqhwa, washiya izintaba zingenalutho, usongo oluqhubekayo ekuphakamiseni nokujikijelwa kwamafosholo asengadini ababeze nawo ukuze bambe isihlabathi. Izwe limbozwe amadwala entaba-mlilo abomvu aye aguguleka phakathi namakhulu ezigidi zeminyaka ngenxa yomoya nemvula, awashiya enemigodi futhi epholishwa.
Lapho ososayensi bephakamisa leli dwala, bathola ukuthi isisekelo salo sasigcwele uqweqwe lukasawoti omhlophe—amakristalu anobuthi e-perchlorate, i-chlorate ne-nitrate. Ama-perchlorate nama-chlorate, usawoti oqeda ukubola osetshenziswa kuphethiloli we-rocket ne-bleach yasezimbonini, nawo atholakala ngobuningi endaweni eyi-Mars. Njengoba kungekho manzi okugeza, usawoti unqwabelana kulezi zintaba ezomile zase-Antarctic.
"Kufana nokusampula ku-Mars," kusho u-Adams. Uma ufaka ifosholo, “uyazi ukuthi uyinto yokuqala ongayiphazamisa unomphela umhlabathi—mhlawumbe izigidi zeminyaka.”
Abacwaningi basikisela ukuthi ngisho nasezindaweni eziphakeme kangaka nangaphansi kwezimo ezinzima kakhulu, basazozithola amagciwane aphilayo emhlabathini. Kepha lokho obekulindelwe kwaqala ukufiphala ngasekupheleni kuka-2018, lapho u-Dragon esebenzisa isu elibizwa nge-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) ukuthola i-microbial DNA ekungcoleni. U-Dragon uhlole amasampula angu-204 ezintabeni phezulu nangaphansi kweqhwa. Amasampula asezintabeni eziphansi, ezipholile aveze inani elikhulu le-DNA; kodwa amasampula amaningi (20%) asuka ezindaweni eziphakeme, okuhlanganisa amaningi asuka e-Mount Schroeder nase-Roberts Massif, awazange ahlolelwe noma yimiphi imiphumela, okubonisa ukuthi ayequkethe ama-microorganisms ambalwa kakhulu noma mhlawumbe ayengekho nhlobo.
“Ngesikhathi eqala ukungikhombisa imiphumela, ngacabanga, 'Kukhona okungalungile,'” kusho uFerrell. Wacabanga ukuthi kufanele kube khona okungalungile ngesampula noma impahla yaselabhu.
U-Dragon wabe esenza uchungechunge lwezilingo ezengeziwe ukuze afune izimpawu zempilo. Welapha inhlabathi ngeglucose ukuze abone ukuthi izinto eziphilayo ezithile emhlabathini ziyayiguqula yini ibe isikhutha. Wayezama ukuthola ikhemikhali ebizwa ngokuthi i-ATP, esetshenziswa yizo zonke izinto eziphilayo emhlabeni ukugcina amandla. Kwaphela izinyanga ezimbalwa etshala izingcezu zenhlabathi ngezingxube ezihlukahlukene zezakhi, ezama ukukholisa ama-microorganisms akhona ukuthi akhule abe amakoloni.
"U-Nick uphonse usinki wasekhishini kulawa masampula," kusho uFerrell. Naphezu kwakho konke lokhu kuhlolwa, akatholanga lutho kweminye imihlaba. “Kuyamangalisa ngempela.”
U-Jacqueline Gurdial, isazi sezinto ezincane eziphilayo e-University of Guelph eCanada, ubiza imiphumela ngokuthi “iyaheha,” ikakhulukazi imizamo ka-Dragon yokunquma ukuthi yiziphi izici ezithonya amathuba okuthola amagciwane endaweni ethile. Uthole ukuthi ukuphakama okuphezulu kanye nokugxila okuphezulu kwe-chlorate kwakuyizibikezelo ezinamandla zokwehluleka ukubona impilo. "Lokhu ukutholwa okuthakazelisa kakhulu," kusho uGoodyear. "Lokhu kusitshela okuningi ngemikhawulo yokuphila eMhlabeni."
Akaqinisekanga ngokuphelele ukuthi inhlabathi yabo ayinakuphila ngempela, ngokwengxenye ngenxa yokuhlangenwe nakho kwakhe kwenye ingxenye ye-Antarctica.
Eminyakeni embalwa edlule, wacwaninga ngenhlabathi endaweni efanayo eziNtabeni ZaseTransantarctic, indawo engamakhilomitha angu-500 enyakatho-ntshonalanga ye-Shackleton Glacier ebizwa ngokuthi i-University Valley okungenzeka yayingenawo umswakama obalulekile noma izinga lokushisa elincibilikayo iminyaka engu-120,000. Lapho ewufukamela izinyanga ezingu-20 ku-23°F, izinga lokushisa elivamile lasehlobo esigodini, inhlabathi yayingabonisi zimpawu zokuphila. Kodwa lapho eshisisa amasampula omhlabathi amadigri ambalwa ngaphezu kokubanda, amanye abonisa ukukhula kwamagciwane.
Ngokwesibonelo, ososayensi baye bathola ukuthi amangqamuzana ebhaktheriya ayaqhubeka ephila ngisho nangemva kwezinkulungwane zeminyaka ezindaweni ezingaphansi kwezinguzunga zeqhwa. Lapho zibambeka, ukugaywa kwe-metabolism kwengqamuzana kunganciphisa izikhathi eziyisigidi. Ziya esimweni lapho zingasakhuli khona, kodwa zilungisa kuphela umonakalo we-DNA obangelwa imisebe ye-cosmic engena eqhweni. UGoodyear uqagela ukuthi laba “abasindile abahamba kancane” kungenzeka kube yilabo abathola e-College Valley—usola ukuthi ukube uDrakane noFirer bahlaziye inhlabathi ephindwe izikhathi ezingu-10, kungenzeka babathole eRoberts Massif noma eSchroeder Mountain.
UBrent Christner, ofunda ngamagciwane ase-Antarctic eNyuvesi yaseFlorida eGainesville, ukholelwa ukuthi le nhlabathi ewubude obuphakeme neyomile ingasiza ekuthuthukiseni ukufuna ukuphila ku-Mars.
Waphawula ukuthi umkhumbi-mkhathi weViking 1 noViking 2, owahlala kuMars ngo-1976, wenza ukuhlola kokubona ukuphila okusekelwe ngokwengxenye ekuhloleni kwenhlabathi ephansi eduze nogu lwase-Antarctica, isifunda esibizwa ngokuthi Izigodi Ezomile. Eminye yale nhlabathi iba manzi ngenxa ye-meltwater ehlobo. Aziqukethe ama-microorganisms kuphela, kodwa kwezinye izindawo nezibungu ezincane nezinye izilwane.
Ngokuphambene, inhlabathi ephakeme, eyomile yase-Mount Roberts kanye ne-Mount Schroeder ingase inikeze izizathu ezingcono zokuhlola izinsimbi ze-Martian.
“Ubuso bukaMars bubi kakhulu,” kusho uChristner. “Ayikho into ephilayo eMhlabeni engaphila phezu komhlaba”—okungenani ama-intshi aphezulu noma amabili. Noma yimuphi umkhumbi-mkhathi oya lapho uyofuna ukuphila kumelwe ulungele ukusebenza kwezinye zezindawo ezinonya kakhulu eMhlabeni.
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