The Special Collection of papers in this issue of Astrobiology provides an overview of the characteristics and potential for future exploration of the Ojos del Salado volcano, located in the Andes Mountains in front of the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. The main benefits of this site compared with others are the combination of strong UV radiation, the presence of permafrost, and geothermal activity within a dry terrain. The interaction between limited snow events and wind results in snow patches buried under a dry soil surface. This leads to ephemeral water streams that only flow during daytime hours. On this volcano, which has the highest located subsurface temperature monitoring systems reported to date, seasonal melting of the permafrost is followed by fast percolation events. This is due to the high porosity of these soils. The results are landforms, shaped by the strong winds. At this site, both thermal springs and lakes (the latter arising from melting ice) provide habitats for life; a 6480 m high lake heated by volcanic activity shows both warm and cold sediments that contain a number of different microbial species, including psychrophiles. Where the permafrost melts, thawing ponds have formed at 5900 m that are dominated by populations of Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria, while in the pond sediments and the permafrost itself Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Patescibacteria, Proteobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia are abundant. In turn, fumaroles show the presence of acidophilic iron-oxidizers and iron-reducing species. In spite of the extreme conditions reported at Ojos del Salado, this site is easily accessible.

中文翻译：

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寒冷，干燥，有风和紫外线辐射：调查Ojos del Salado火山（智利安第斯山脉）中与火星有关的状况

本期天体生物学论文专集概述了位于智利北部阿塔卡马沙漠前的安第斯山脉的Ojos del Salado火山的特征和未来的勘探潜力。与其他站点相比，该站点的主要优势是强紫外线辐射，多年冻土的存在以及干旱地区的地热活动的结合。有限的降雪事件和风之间的相互作用导致积雪埋在干燥的土壤表面下。这导致短暂的水流仅在白天运行。在这座火山中，迄今为止报道的地下温度监测系统位置最高，永久冻土的季节性融化之后会发生快速的渗滤事件。这是由于这些土壤的高孔隙率。其结果是地形被强风形成。在这个网站上 温泉和湖泊（后者源于冰的融化）为人们提供了生活的栖息地；由火山活动加热的6480 m高的湖泊显示出冷热沉积物，其中包含许多不同的微生物物种，包括嗜冷菌。在永冻土融化的地方，融化池在5900 m处形成，主要由拟杆菌和变形杆菌组成，而池塘中的沉积物和永久冻土本身的酸性细菌，放线菌，拟杆菌，Patecibacteria，Proteobacteria和Verrucomicrobia丰富。反过来，喷气孔显示嗜酸性铁氧化剂和铁还原物种的存在。尽管Ojos del Salado报道了极端情况，但该站点仍易于访问。由火山活动加热的6480 m高的湖泊显示出冷热沉积物，其中包含许多不同的微生物物种，包括嗜冷菌。在永冻土融化的地方，融化池在5900 m处形成，主要由拟杆菌和变形杆菌组成，而池塘中的沉积物和永久冻土本身的酸性细菌，放线菌，拟杆菌，Patecibacteria，Proteobacteria和Verrucomicrobia丰富。反过来，喷气孔显示嗜酸性铁氧化剂和铁还原物种的存在。尽管Ojos del Salado报道了极端情况，但该站点仍易于访问。由火山活动加热的6480 m高的湖泊显示出冷热沉积物，其中包含许多不同的微生物物种，包括嗜冷菌。在永冻土融化的地方，在5900 m处形成了融化池，其中以拟杆菌和变形杆菌为主导，而在池塘沉积物中，永久冻土本身的酸性细菌，放线菌，拟杆菌，Patecibacteria，Proteobacteria和Verrucomicrobia丰富。反过来，喷气孔显示嗜酸性铁氧化剂和铁还原物种的存在。尽管Ojos del Salado报道了极端情况，但该站点仍易于访问。在5900 m处已形成解冻池，主要由拟杆菌和变形杆菌组成，而池塘中的沉积物和多年冻土本身中的酸性细菌，放线菌，拟杆菌，Patecibacteria，变形杆菌和Verrucomicrobia丰富。反过来，喷气孔显示嗜酸性铁氧化剂和铁还原物种的存在。尽管Ojos del Salado报道了极端情况，但该站点仍易于访问。在5900 m处已形成解冻池，主要由拟杆菌和变形杆菌组成，而池塘中的沉积物和多年冻土本身中的酸性细菌，放线菌，拟杆菌，Patecibacteria，变形杆菌和Verrucomicrobia丰富。反过来，喷气孔显示嗜酸性铁氧化剂和铁还原物种的存在。尽管Ojos del Salado报道了极端情况，但该站点仍易于访问。