Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has secured a three-year, $2.99 million NASA grant to study frozen sand dunes in Alaska—environments that mirror conditions on early Mars and Saturn’s moon Titan. The project, called Assessing Regional Reflectors of Astrobiology in Kobuk Dunes for Interplanetary Science (ARRAKIS), brings together experts from SwRI, Brigham Young University, and the University of California—Davis. Their mission: uncover how microbial life survives in extreme, nutrient-poor environments, shedding light on the potential for extraterrestrial life.

Searching for Life in Frozen Sands

“Basaltic and gypsum dunes on Mars and hydrocarbon dunes on Titan exist in subzero temperatures. By studying how Earth’s Arctic dunes interact with and support microbial life, we can refine our search for life in similar frozen environments beyond Earth,” said Dr. Cynthia Dinwiddie, SwRI Staff Scientist and principal investigator of the project.

The research focuses on Alaska’s Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, a 25-square-mile stretch in Kobuk Valley National Park where dunes freeze each winter and may contain dry permafrost—sand that remains frozen even during the warm season. These conditions closely resemble those found on other planetary bodies.

Trapped Water: A Hidden Reservoir for Life

One key target of the study is perched water—liquid trapped above an impermeable layer of ice, carbonates, or fine-grained sediments like clay. SwRI scientists have already observed such water in the dunes' tallest formations.

“Water is essential for life as we know it, so our goal is to analyze these isolated water pockets to understand their astrobiological potential,” Dinwiddie explained. The team will use advanced geophysical techniques to map the subsurface and locate these deep, nutrient-poor but moisture-rich zones—prime candidates for microbial life.

High-Tech Tools for Astrobiology

To identify biosignatures, the researchers will deploy state-of-the-art analytical instruments, including:

• Raman Spectroscopy: SwRI’s Astronaut Raman for In Situ Resource Utilization and Astrobiology (ARIA) instrument, developed by Dr. Charity Phillips-Lander, will be used to analyze mineralogy and detect organic compounds.
• Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS): This technique will help detect and quantify organic molecules within sand samples.
• Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) and DNA Analysis: Measuring ATP, a universal biomolecule in living organisms, will provide insights into microbial activity, while total DNA quantification will estimate microbial biomass.

The ARRAKIS team will conduct field studies in March and late summer of 2025, capturing seasonal variations in microbial activity within the dunes.

Preparing for Future Space Missions

NASA’s upcoming missions, including the proposed Mars Life Explorer, will rely on multiple detection techniques to confirm the presence of life. By testing these methods in terrestrial environments similar to those on Mars and Titan, the ARRAKIS project will refine strategies for future space exploration.

“Although we have much to learn about life deep within frozen sand dunes, perched liquid water at high elevations could serve as a refuge for life in an Arctic desert,” Dinwiddie said. “This research will help us draw valuable parallels for life-seeking missions elsewhere in the solar system.”