To really learn about how life emerges, evolves, and flourishes‚ and to improve our chances of detecting it elsewhere in the solar system, scientists look for life in Earth’s harshest environments. That means going to the extremes—to the hottest, darkest, driest, most acidic, saltiest places on the planet—and seeing what’s there.
These environments, which range from acid pools and volcanic lakes to desiccated basins and subterranean caverns, are proof that you don’t need to leave planet Earth to see otherworldly landscapes. Want to catch a glimpse of Earths’s most alien landscapes? Take a look at this unbelievable gallery from the National Geographic.
