Ethiopia Archives

The Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission takes us over one of Earth’s most extreme environments: the Danakil Depression in Ethiopia. [If you go to the original ESA posting] Zoom in or click on the circles to explore this image at its full 10 m resolution.

Analog Studies, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Sample Return, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Astrobiology Analog Site: Copernicus Sentinel-2 Views The Danakil Depression In Ethiopia

by Keith CowingNovember 21, 2025November 21, 2025

Located in northeastern Ethiopia, near the border with Eritrea, the Danakil Depression lies between the Danakil Alps on the east and the Ethiopian Plateau on the west. It is a […]

Extended Data Fig. 5. Heat maps showing major metabolic potential functions and KEGG pathways for individual Halobacteria MAGs assembled from north Danakil hypersaline ecosystems. a, Presence (blue)-absence (white) of metabolic functions as inferred by Metabolic G in Danakil MAGs and representative GTDB genomes of Halobacteria. b, Modules of KEGG pathways identified in Halobacteria MAGs and GTDB reference genomes (outgroup). The blue color intensity indicates the completeness of the respective pathway (intense, complete). The names of our MAGs are highlighted in red. Aa, amino acid. -- biorxiv.org

Analog Studies, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report

Extremely Acidic Proteomes And Metabolic Flexibility In Bacteria And Highly Diversified Archaea Thriving In Geothermal Chaotropic Brines

by Keith CowingMarch 17, 2024November 21, 2025

Few described archaeal, and fewer bacterial, lineages thrive at salt-saturating conditions, such as solar saltern crystallizers (salinity above 30%-w/v).

Analog Studies, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Sample Return

Astrobiologist Kennda Lynch Uses Analogs On Earth to Find Life On Mars

by Keith CowingFebruary 16, 2021November 21, 2025

If we find life on the Red Planet, we’ll have astrobiologists like Dr. Kennda Lynch to thank. Lynch is an astrobiologist and geomicrobiologist studying life in extreme environments on Earth […]

Analog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Citizen Science / Open Science, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release

Ultra-small Microbes Exhibit Extreme Survival Skills In Ethiopia's Mars-like Wonderland

by Keith CowingMay 28, 2019November 21, 2025

The first study of ultra-small bacteria living in the extreme environment of Ethiopia’s Dallol hot springs shows that life can thrive in conditions similar to those thought to have been […]

Analog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Sample Return

Extreme Environment of Danakil Depression Sheds Light on Mars, Titan

by Keith CowingApril 18, 2018November 21, 2025

The Danakil Depression in Ethiopia is a spectacular, hostile environment that may resemble conditions encountered on Mars and Titan — as well as in sites containing nuclear waste. From 20 […]

Analog Studies, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Sample Return

Hydrothermal Systems Show Spectrum of Extreme Life on Earth

by Keith CowingApril 26, 2016November 21, 2025

The Danakil Depression in Ethiopia is one of the most inhospitable places on Earth. Hydrothermal system at the Danakil Depression. The yellow deposits are a variety of sulphates and the […]