1. Spaceward Bound: Mojave Expedition 2nd Online Training Session February 13, 2007 Welcome !!!

2. Science Themes 1.Desert soil: Soil microbiology, soil oxidants, and soil formation. 2.Geology: Volcanoes, rocks, Amboy crater, Cima lava flows and geology. 3.Photosynthesis: desert hypolithic algae, cyanobacterial soil crusts, and stromatolites. 4.Caves and lava tubes, paleolakes, and remote sensing

3. Agenda Introduction (Liza) Science (Chris, Jim, Henry) –Photosynthesis (Theme 3) Hypolithic algae under stones Photosynthetic layers in Badwater salt mat Stromatolites of the Crystal Springs Formation –Soil microbiology (Theme 1) Transect: dry to wet Soil microbiology studies Modeling of soil physics and water state to correlate with microbiology Soil organic analysis Wrap up and Homework !!!

4. On the phone Dr. James Nienow –Valdosta State University, Valdosta, GA –jnienow@valdosta.edu Dr. Henry Sun –Desert Research Institute, Las Vegas, NV –henry.sun@dri.edu

5. Spaceward Bound Mojave Science Themes Photosynthesis - hypolithic cyanobacteria - salt mats - stromatolites Soil Microbiology - microbial number - life/dead ratios - soil organics & oxidants

7. Photosynthesis Photosynthesis is the ultimate base for virtually all ecosystems Life on the surface is Mars = Is there photosynthesis on the surface of Mars We are studying photosynthesis in dry and cold environments (Mars-like)

10. What is a hypolith?

13. Colonized Stones in the Atacama Desert Warren-Rhodes et al. Micro. Ecol. 2005

15. Microbial mat from Badwater salt flats in Death Valley

16. Wierzchos etal 2006.

17. Stromatolites from the Crystal Springs carbonate formation from the Mojave Desert. Evidence of photosynthesis over a billion years ago.

18. Soil Microbiology Microbial number and diversity variations from dry to wet - culture methods - non culture methods Live/dead ratios and turnover rates Presence of organic material in soils Presence of oxidants in soils

19. Hyperarid, < 1 mm/yr 5 mm/yr 25 mm/yr

20. Mars-like soils in the Atacama Desert; compare Mojave Organics drop to low levels in the arid core. Oxidized organics increase in relative concentration Places with no culturable microorganisms Places with no recoverable DNA Abiotic consumption of organic material

22. Viking 2 lander: water frost on Mars Mars-like soils ?

23. The Viking Biology Experiments

24. Upcoming Events Training –2 more Wed., Mar. 7, noon PST –Two of the science themes –More logistics and Q & A Wed., Mar. 21, noon PDT –Final preparations –Goal By the end of the training broadcasts you each will be able to decide whether you want to focus on only one or sample them all –Homework !!!

25. Homework p.1 Read: On Spaceward Bound Resources page under Interesting Readings: –“Desert Landforms and Surface Processes in the Mojave National Preserve and Vicinity” –“The camels of the prokaryotic world” –“Levels of Bacterial Community diversity in Four Arid Soils Compared by Cultivation and 16S rRNA Gene Cloning” –On the web: http://lsweb.la.asu.edu/fgarcia-pichel –Click on Research on the bottom of the page http://www.soilcrust.org (USGS)http://www.soilcrust.org

26. Homework p.2 Write a letter to your teacher leader –Tell him/her about your class and your school Include the good things and the bad things Go deeper than just “I teach 6th grade science.” –Tell him/her: What you are looking forward to during the expedition What’s you’re worried/unsure about

27. Spaceward Bound: Mojave Expedition 2nd Online Training Session February 13, 2007 Thanks for joining us