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Study conducted in Iceland tracked recent volcanic lava flows formed between 2021 and 2023 and identified the rapid arrival of microbes to newly hardened terrain, in a process that can help scientists understand how to search for signs of life on other planets.
Recent volcanic lava in Iceland began to be colonized by microbes almost immediately after hardening, revealing how life can return to seemingly sterile environments. The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Arizona, tracked flows from the Fagradalsfjall volcano in southwest Iceland, following eruptions recorded between 2021 and 2023.
The eruptions spewed lava over the tundra and, at times, covered flows formed in previous episodes. This scenario created a rare opportunity to observe primary succession, a process in which organisms begin to occupy a place that previously harbored no life.
The research brought together ecologists and planetary scientists to track how microbial communities form in new terrestrial landscapes. The work also offers clues about the search for signs of life on other worlds, especially in environments with volcanic rocks similar to those found on Earth.
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Volcanic Lava Created Natural Laboratory in Iceland
The Fagradalsfjall volcano erupted three times between 2021 and 2023, allowing researchers to observe new lava surfaces soon after their formation. As newly expelled lava emerges from the ground at over 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, it is completely sterile at first.
This environment served as a kind of blank canvas to track the arrival of the first organisms. The initial absence of life allowed for an analysis, from the very beginning, of which microbes were able to reach and remain on the newly formed volcanic rocks.
The study’s first author, Nathan Hadland, a Ph.D. student at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, described the recent lava as a natural laboratory. The team sought to understand how microbes colonize surfaces that have just emerged from an extreme condition and without any prior biological community.
To trace the origin of the microbes, scientists collected samples from various possible sources. The material included lava that had cooled only a few hours earlier, rainwater, aerosols, nearby soil, and rocks surrounding the studied area.
After collection, researchers extracted DNA from the samples to identify the organisms present. Advanced statistical methods and machine learning were used to pinpoint how different environments contributed to the formation of microbial communities in the volcanic lava.
Microbes Arrived Before Plants and Animals
The recent lava flows appeared lifeless at first glance, with black, irregular surfaces and no visible signs of organisms. Nevertheless, the research showed that microbes began to occupy these areas long before the arrival of plants or animals.
Recent lava is one of the most difficult environments for survival. Despite the abundance of rain in Iceland, volcanic rocks do not retain water for long and offer virtually no nutrients to newly arrived organisms.
Solange Duhamel, an associate professor of molecular and cellular biology at the University of Arizona, stated that these flows are among the environments with the lowest biomass on Earth. She compared the studied areas to Antarctica and the Atacama Desert in Chile, as they start as practically empty surfaces.
The samples revealed that unicellular organisms rapidly colonized the recent lava. The discovery showed that, even in a hostile environment, microscopic life manages to establish itself soon after the formation of new lands.
Microbial diversity increased during the first year after an eruption. After the first winter, however, this diversity sharply declined, indicating that not all microbes could withstand the local conditions.
Hadland assessed that only certain microbes survived the cold and environmental changes. In subsequent winters, the changes were smaller, and the microbial community began to show a more stable pattern.
The first colonizers were microbes capable of withstanding little water, few nutrients, and rocks that dry quickly after rain. Over time, new organisms arrived through rain and nearby terrain, helping the community to grow slowly.
Rainwater Changed the Origin of Microscopic Life
One of the most striking discoveries of the study involved the role of rainwater in the colonization of volcanic lava. Initially, the microbes found on the surface seemed to come mainly from wind-blown soil and aerosols deposited on the lava.
After the first winter, the main source of new microbes became rainwater. This change was consistently observed in the three eruptions monitored by the researchers.
Rainwater is not sterile, as microbes present in the air can participate in the formation of clouds and droplets. This indicates that tiny organisms can influence atmospheric processes and, at the same time, help seed new terrestrial environments.
Duhamel highlighted that the significant change recorded after winter drew attention due to the repetition of the pattern. The consistency across the three eruptions surprised the team, who did not expect to observe the same behavior in such a replicable manner.
The possibility of monitoring three eruptions in the same location was one of the central points of the work. Hadland emphasized that nature offered a kind of natural triplicate, something rare in environmental studies.
Study aids search for life beyond Earth
The study represents the first detailed analysis of primary microbial succession from the moment new terrestrial landscapes form. The repetition of eruptions on the same volcano allowed for the comparison of similar events under natural conditions.
The findings are also relevant to the investigation of Mars. Much of the Martian surface features volcanic rocks similar to those on Earth, and volcanic activity may have created brief periods when life was possible.
By understanding how microbes colonize recent lava on Earth, scientists gain more insights into where and how to look for signs of life on other planets. Volcanic lava, once seen only as a newly destroyed landscape, is now observed as a starting point for the return of microscopic life.
The study was published in the journal
Communications Biology .
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