Where life cannot exist on Earth

High salinity and toxic acids make the Dallol area in the Danakil basin the toughest place that does not exist in any form of life.

Microbiologist Jodie Belilla of Paris-Sud University and colleagues used a variety of analytical methods to study a series of samples taken from four areas of the Dallol geothermal complex in the Danakil basin during three discoveries. fieldwork from 2016 to 2018.

Salt lake in Dallol.(Photo: Science Alert).

Dallol's surface is covered with a super-saline crater lake with very strong acids, creating a variety of vibrant colors such as green, yellow, orange and brown. From a distance, the scenery is the same as in the other world but in reality, hot pools of toxic gas are heated by volcanoes hidden beneath the surface. With its extreme environment, Dallon has long been an attractive place for scientists.

According to research results published October 28 in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, Belilla's team said it was impossible to find bacterial life naturally occurring in the lake system at Dallol. They determined there were two physical and chemical barriers to prevent life from growing here despite the presence of liquid water on the surface.

One barrier is that the brine is high in magnesium, causing cells to break down through a process called chaotropicity (creating ions that dissolve biological membranes). The other barrier is toxic acidity, resulting in molecules that cannot adapt at the same time with very low pH and extremely high salt content. Belilla and his colleagues concluded that before finding convincing evidence, Dallon was the most difficult place to live and could not be renovated.

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