Ice and fire: Antarctic volcano may hold clues to life on Mars

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by Juan RESTREPO and Juan BARRETO

The volcano has been active for thousands of years, erupting more recently in 1967, 1969 and 1970, causing destruction to British and Chilean bases and resulting in the evacuation of an Argentine base.

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The volcano has been active for thousands of years, erupting most recently in 1967, 1969 and 1970, devastating British and Chilean bases and forcing the evacuation of an Argentine base.

On Deception Island in Antarctica, there is an active volcano surrounded by ice, giving scientists insight into potential life on Mars.

Deception Island, situated in the South Shetland Islands, is the only location worldwide where ships can navigate into the crater of an active volcano.
In this region, about 420 kilometers (260 miles) from Chile’s Port Williams, various marine life such as fish, krill, anemones and sea sponges survive, while distinctive types of lichen and moss thrive on the surface in a setting of extreme contrasts.
Despite being uninhabited by humans, the island is home to a large colony of chinstrap penguins, seabirds, seals and sea lions.
The volcano has been continuously active for numerous years, with the most recent eruptions taking place in 1967, 1969 and 1970, causing significant damage to British and Chilean bases and necessitating the evacuation of an Argentine base.
Nevertheless, life continues to return and thrive on the island, where water temperatures in steam vents, or fumaroles, have been recorded at approximately 70 degrees Celsius (158 degrees Fahrenheit), even as air temperatures can drop to -28 degrees.
According to Spanish planetary geologist Miguel de Pablo, it is “similar to Mars because there what we have is a planet with (a part of) immense volcanic activity … where currently there are very cold conditions.”
“It is the best possible approximation that we can make to understand Mars without stepping on” that planet, added de Pablo.

Deception Island, shaped like a horseshoe and located in the South Shetlands, is the only place globally where ships can navigate into the crater of an active volcano.

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Horseshoe-shaped Deception Island, in the South Shetlands, is the only place in the world where ships can sail into the caldera of an active volcano.

A rich history
The analysis of rocks on Deception Island complements the work of engineers, scientists and astronomers who study Mars from afar.
In 2023, researchers with the US space agency NASA concluded that Mars once had a climate with cyclical seasons, conducive to the development of life, according to evidence found on the red planet by the Curiosity rover.

Scientists believe an immense volcanic eruption changed the planet’s atmosphere and led to the appearance of oceans and rivers that later evaporated.
Despite much lower temperatures on Mars now—estimated by NASA at about -153 degrees Celsius—”Antarctic conditions can help us understand if the conditions for the development of life could, or could have, existed on Mars,” said de Pablo.
Another Mars rover, Perseverance, landed on the planet in February 2021 to look for signs of past microbial life.

The island also hosts perhaps the world’s largest colony of chinstrap penguins, seabirds, seals and sea lions.

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The island is also home to perhaps the world’s largest colony of chinstrap penguins, seabirds, seals and sea lions.

The multitasking rover will collect 30 rock and soil samples in sealed tubes to be sent back to Earth sometime in the 2030s for lab analysis.
The South Shetlands are claimed by Britain, Chile and Argentina but are not administered by any one country. The 1959 Antarctic Treaty states they shall be used “for peaceful purposes” and guarantees “freedom of scientific investigation.”
Deception Island, first visited by British sealers in 1820, has a rich history, with abandoned scientific bases and an old whaling station rusting in the icy air.
Wilson Andres Rios, a researcher and captain of a Colombian navy frigate conducting a scientific expedition in Antarctica, said the hunting of seals and whales from the island in the early 20th century was “indiscriminate.”
In 1931, a Norwegian whaling station on the island closed when the price of whale oil slumped.

The island, first visited by British sealers in 1820, has a rich history, with abandoned scientific bases and an old whaling station rusting in the icy air.

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The island, first visited by British sealers in 1820, has a rich history, with abandoned scientific bases and an old whaling station rusting in the icy air.

Deception Island is a popular spot for tourist cruises to Antarctica.

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Deception Island is a popular spot for tourist cruises to Antarctica.

Following this, in 1944, Britain established a base on the island as part of a secretive wartime effort to occupy Antarctic territories.
After numerous evictions and eruptions, the island is now dedicated to scientific research.
And, under the watchful eyes of scientists, numerous tourists now visit on cruises.
This trend, according to Natalia Jaramillo, scientific coordinator of the Colombian expedition, is “worryingly increasing.”