1996

Photograph of Carl Sagan standing next to a model of the Viking lander in Death Valley, California. -- NASA

Carl Sagan – Galileo Interdisciplinary Scientist (1934 – 1996)

by Keith CowingDecember 20, 1996July 5, 2026

Carl Sagan passed away on December 20, 1996 of pneumonia after a two-year battle with bone marrow disease. He was 62, and will be sorely missed by his friends and […]

Underwater beneath the 4.5 meter thick ice-cover of Lake Hoare, looking back at the dive hole.

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Dale Andersen's Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Microgravity, Status Report

Dale Andersen’s 1996 Antarctic Field Research Photo Album Volume 1

by Keith CowingDecember 20, 1996January 11, 2026

Editor’s note: This is a revised version of the original website that was first posted – from Antarctica – in 1996.

Battleship Promontory is known for its large sandstone formations and numerous cliffs and pillars. The elevation is about 1800 meters above mean sea level.

Dale Andersen’s 1996 Antarctic Field Research Photo Album Volume 2

by Keith CowingDecember 20, 1996November 23, 2023

Editor’s note: This is a revised version of the original website that was first posted – from Antarctica – in 1996.

Close-up of cryptoendolithic community found within the sandstone rock

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrogeology, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Dale Andersen's Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report

Dale Andersen’s 1996 Antarctic Field Research Photo Album Volume 3

by Keith CowingDecember 20, 1996November 23, 2023

Editor’s note: This is a revised version of the original website that was first posted – from Antarctica – in 1996.

Pinnacle mat located on the bottom of Lake Joyce in Pearse Valley. The depth is approximately 18 meters including 6 meters of ice that is covering the lake. Despite the thick ice-cover, sediment is able to make its way through holes and cracks that develop. The result is a sediment 'dump' on the bottom of the lake (which can be seen in the background of this photograph).

Dale Andersen’s 1996 Antarctic Field Research Photo Album Volume 4

by Keith CowingDecember 20, 1996November 23, 2023

Editor’s note: This is a revised version of the original website that was first posted – from Antarctica – in 1996.

Explorers Club Members Way Down Under During a recent visit with our New Zealand colleagues, we had the opportunity to meet briefly with the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Rt. Hon. Jim Bolger and others in his party including Sir Edmund Hillary. Sir Edmund is an honorary President of the Explorers Club. As luck would have it, other members of the Explorers Club just happened to be present. Shown left to right are: US Ambassador Beeman, Rt. Hon. Jim Bolger, Sir Edmund Hillary, Robert A. Wharton, Jr. (Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV), Andrew Fountain (Portland University, Portland, OR), Dale T. Andersen (SETI Institute, Mt. View, CA).

Dale Andersen’s 1996 Antarctic Field Research Photo Album Volume 5

by Keith CowingDecember 20, 1996April 13, 2024

Editor’s note: This is a revised version of the original website that was first posted – from Antarctica – in 1996.

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Fossils & Paleontology, Icy Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, People Of Astrobiology, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors

Chris McKay’s Astrobiology Away Team In Antarctic Dry Valleys

by Keith CowingSeptember 26, 1996May 12, 2024

Dr. Chris McKay Deploying Environmental Monitoring Station in Colonized Sandstone, Dry Valleys, Antarctica.

ALH84001 was found in 1984 in Allan Hills ice field, Antarctica -- NASA

Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Mars, Meteorites & Asteroids, Press Release

Meteorite Yields Evidence of Primitive Life on Early Mars

by Keith CowingAugust 7, 1996November 23, 2023

A NASA research team of scientists at the Johnson Space Center (JSC), Houston, TX, and at Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, has found evidence that strongly suggests primitive life may […]