2023 Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium
Location
ScholarSpace, Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation (UNI Access Only)
Document Type
poster
Keywords
Microorganisms--South Dakota--Wind Cave; Extreme environments--Microbiology--South Dakota--Wind Cave;
Abstract
• In order to better understand the pathways by which life could be sustained on other planets, it is important to identify the tenacity of life in extreme conditions on Earth.
• Saturn’s moon, Titan, may have karst-like caves resembling caves on Earth.
• Icy moons, such as Europa and Enceladus, contain subterranean lakes that harbor organics that may sustain life.
• Mars has evidence of ancient water from calcite remains.
• Wind Cave’s isolated biome offers an opportunity to examine organics in low-nutrient environments.
• Using portable spectroscopy methods, a speleothem's exact fluoresced wavelength of color can be identified.
• Soft-caving techniques were employed while studying the cave to preserve cave features and minimize major human contamination.
Start Date
28-7-2023 11:00 AM
End Date
28-7-2023 1:30 PM
Event Host
Summer Undergraduate Research Program, University of Northern Iowa
Faculty Advisor
Joshua Sebree
Department
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Copyright
©2023 Jacqueline Heggen, Evelyn Lopez, and Dr. Joshua Sebree
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Heggen, Jacqueline; Lopez, Evelyn; and Sebree, Joshua, "Entrance to Entrance: A Hunt for Astrobiological Analogs at Wind Cave" (2023). Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Symposium. 22.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/surp/2023/all/22
Entrance to Entrance: A Hunt for Astrobiological Analogs at Wind Cave
ScholarSpace, Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa
• In order to better understand the pathways by which life could be sustained on other planets, it is important to identify the tenacity of life in extreme conditions on Earth.
• Saturn’s moon, Titan, may have karst-like caves resembling caves on Earth.
• Icy moons, such as Europa and Enceladus, contain subterranean lakes that harbor organics that may sustain life.
• Mars has evidence of ancient water from calcite remains.
• Wind Cave’s isolated biome offers an opportunity to examine organics in low-nutrient environments.
• Using portable spectroscopy methods, a speleothem's exact fluoresced wavelength of color can be identified.
• Soft-caving techniques were employed while studying the cave to preserve cave features and minimize major human contamination.
