MAGMA Project

Multidisciplinary Analysis of Geothermal Microbes in Antarctica; an international Marsden fund project studying the microbes that inhabit subsurface Mt. Erebus

[MAGMA Project @MAGMAProject1]

We've returned from our work in Antarctica! We had success in our drilling operations and have a boatload of cultures growing in the incubators. For more information on what we've been up to, head over to our Facebook page, which we will keep updating:
https://t.co/VCck2XbC5D

[MAGMA Project @MAGMAProject1]

If you'd like to follow along with our field deployment in Antarctica (in 3 days!!), please see our Facebook page for updates as we will not be updating this account during deployment.
https://t.co/VCck2XbC5D

[MAGMA Project @MAGMAProject1]

Some things in science aren’t so glamorous…like spending endless hours punching holes in tape and cutting filters for culturing devices!

>12 hours of work later, 28 devices have been successfully assembled and are ready to go to Antarctica. 2 weeks till deployment!

[MAGMA Project @MAGMAProject1]

In testing in a walk-in freezer, this setup kept the inside above 20 C (70F) for 24 hours! (3/3)

[MAGMA Project @MAGMAProject1]

Planning for fieldwork on Erebus requires going over every step of the process. One important step is when we're collecting subsurface hot soil samples (50-70 C, 120-160 F) on Erebus, we need to keep the microbes inside these samples from freezing... (1/3)

[MAGMA Project @MAGMAProject1]

when they're brought to the surface, where temperatures will be around -20 C (-4 F). We plan to use a hot box to keep them warm: a cooler (known in NZ as a chilly bin) with containers of very hot water. (2/3)

[MAGMA Project @MAGMAProject1]

A bit about our field season: we will be helicoptering up to Mt. Erebus, the southernmost active volcano in the world, and drilling ~4 meter holes in geothermally heated soils, with the goal of culturing new subsurface microorganisms unknown to science!
Pictured: test drill, 2019

[MAGMA Project @MAGMAProject1]

We are gearing up for our upcoming field season on Mt. Erebus in Antarctica this year, doing our final planning and testing at the moment, packing soon! Stay tuned to see what it’s like to get ready for work in Antarctica and a bit about what we hope to accomplish this year…

[MAGMA Project @MAGMAProject1]

Many thanks to @MariaRCGMonte and @Planktonic_Ship and Dani (not on twitter) for assistance with the fieldwork!

[MAGMA Project @MAGMAProject1]

After a few months off to fix some problems, we're back in the field again for more testing, with an eye towards Antarctica at the end of the year!

[MAGMA Project @MAGMAProject1]

And what do you do with leftover clay that's not being used for samples? Make dinosaurs, of course!

[MAGMA Project @MAGMAProject1]

In science, for every 1 day of amazing things (working on a volcano in Antarctica, discovering new microbes, etc), there are at least 100 days of mundane work, like punching holes in tape for hours...

[MAGMA Project @MAGMAProject1]

However, all signs are pointing to our project being back on again for the next two summer seasons (2023 and 2024). In the meantime, watch this space for updates on our fieldwork at geothermal sites in New Zealand! There might even be some bacteria pictures at some point...

[MAGMA Project @MAGMAProject1]

Sadly, we recently got the news that our trip to Antarctica was cancelled by Antarctica NZ. This was in part due to a backlog of projects that has built up over the last few years due to Covid, meaning that they didn't have the space or resources for our project this year.

[MAGMA Project @MAGMAProject1]

Some days are great for fieldwork, like when we put some test devices down our drill hole under clear blue skies. And some days are not good for fieldwork, like when we went back 2 weeks later to retrieve them and it was pouring rain the whole time!

[MAGMA Project @MAGMAProject1]

and here's the gas data...

[MAGMA Project @MAGMAProject1]

Have a look at the concentration of hydrogen sulphide (rotten egg smell) in the gas coming out of the drill hole at our geothermal site! That's equivalent to 0.1% hydrogen sulfide or 1000 ppm...

[MAGMA Project @MAGMAProject1]

Yet despite its toxicity to humans, there are quite a few microorganisms who thrive in this environment...hopefully more on this in the coming weeks/months!

[MAGMA Project @MAGMAProject1]

which is, incidentally, 10 times higher than the level that NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) says is immediately dangerous to human health. Good thing we don't stand around breathing this stuff all the time!