(ORDO NEWS) — After conducting a series of tests, experts examined about 200 soil samples obtained from the well-known Shackleton Glacier.
They managed to establish that in 20% of these samples there is not a single microorganism. It is worth noting that microbes can survive in almost any environment, so experts have not previously found places where they are not.
IFLS reports.
A huge number of various microbes live in the human body and in space. That is why Noah Fierer, along with his team, was extremely surprised by the result. They were able to find a place on our planet where any microbial life is completely absent.
Previously, microorganisms were found in the most unexpected places, so people are used to thinking that they should live in any environment, no matter how aggressive it is.
Shackleton Glacier is a unique place in Antarctica, where conditions are simultaneously cold, salty and dry. Together, they were able to create an environment that is the worst option for the existence of living organisms.
The experts noted that they did not even try to claim that they were able to find “sterile” soil.
They were also unable to determine the lower temperature threshold for the development of life. Most likely, the sterility of the soil arose as a result of the fact that in one place several environmental conditions combine at once, which make it completely unsuitable for life.
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