Planet Earth is a diverse territory par excellence. In the cosmos, as far as it’s known, there are no other planets as active as this one. Among its vast territory, Earth hides unique places such as Dallol, the hottest place on Earth. Set in the Ethiopian Danakil depression, formed by the Dallol crater, lies the lowest volcanic vent in the world, with a height of minus 45 meters above sea level.
The meteorological and geological features that gave rise to the extensive Danakil plain are extremely intriguing. It is a salty terrain that emerged thanks to successive floods and evaporations of water from the Red Sea. The last of these occurred some 32,000 years ago.
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As if this were not intriguing enough, in 1926 a series of phreatic eruptions gave way to Dallol, the lowest volcano on the planet. It is an extremely mysterious and beautiful landscape, covered with salt terraces and springs with shades ranging from green water to yellows, oranges, and browns. It looks like an emerging terrain from another planet.
But this is not the feature that attracts hundreds of scholars to the terrain. The high temperatures, ranging from 28 to 50 degrees Celsius, have earned it the name ‘hell’ on Earth. In addition, the interaction of subway magma with salt has generated a hydrothermal system where extreme temperatures, hypersalinity, and hyperacidity coexist with high concentrations of iron and a lack of oxygen.
Dallol: the hottest place on Earth
The conditions for life in such a place are still unclear. The obvious would dictate that it is unlikely to find life on Dallol. However, microorganisms capable of withstanding high temperatures, radiation, or high levels of acidity have been found in other regions of the planet.
Whether or not life exists on Dallol is still a mystery, an expedition of the Andalusian Institute of Earth Sciences under the project ‘Prometheus’ seeks to clear that mystery. The results could change our perception of habitability not only on Earth but on other planets. Although the coin is in the air, Juan Manuel García Ruíz, director of Prometheus concludes:
“This vision could change if the Prometheus project succeeds in finding life on Dallol. The next step would be to think that high-temperature planets like Mars could harbor life.”
Text courtesy of Ecoosfera
