Diving Archives - Astrobiology

Biogeochemist Elisa Merz -- © Abbey Dias

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astronauts and Explorers, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Microgravity, People Of Astrobiology, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Antarctic Microbial Mats: A Research Dive At Minus 20 Degrees Air Temperature

by Keith CowingFebruary 27, 2026February 27, 2026

Lake Fryxell is located in the McMurdo Dry Valley on the Antarctic mainland. The lake is covered year round with four to five metres of ice, and it has some […]

Microbial communities in the Lake form two distinct shapes: large round cones and smaller pinnacle structures. © Dale T. Andersen and James Grecian

Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Dale Andersen's Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Microbial Structures In An Antarctic Lake Could Reveal More About How Life Evolved

by Keith CowingJuly 22, 2024July 22, 2024

By Emma Caton — In the depths of remote Antarctic lakes, communities of microorganisms are thriving where few life forms can survive.

Icefin

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Cryobiology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Away Team Tech: Icefin Diving Droid Provides An Unprecedented View Below The Antarctic Ice Shelf

by Keith CowingMarch 5, 2023March 5, 2023

High in a narrow, seawater-filled crevasse in the base of Antarctica’s largest ice shelf, cameras on the remotely operated Icefin underwater vehicle relayed a sudden change in scenery.

Astrobiologist Dale Andersen prepares to dive under the ice at Lake Untersee, Antarctica

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Dale Andersen's Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Microbiology & Virology, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors, Video, Audio, Webcasts, Podcasts, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Video: Cold Warriors: Diving for Science in Antarctica

by Keith CowingJune 27, 2013June 12, 2026

Its a place few people have seen or even imagined, and distant from familiar, everyday surroundings. The weather can be as harsh as the terrain at times with winds and […]