It also was the topic of a paper he delivered at the SPIE Astrobiology Conference held by the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers in Denver on July 21, 1999. The microbial extremophiles in the Arctic and Antarctic glaciers and permafrost represent analogs for cells that might be encountered in the permafrost or ice caps of Mars or other icy bodies of the solar system. Despite its harsh environment, Siberia is a natural resource that has been barely explored. They make possible an entirely new field of research that may be designated molecular paleontology. In Siberia, Hoover is particularly interested in patterned ground ice wedges and volcano-shaped pingos.
Water fills the cracks during warm weather, refreezes and expands the crack in the winter.
The cycle repeats endlessly. Some of the permafrost ice wedges have very ancient ice at the center. This also means that any life-forms caught deep in the ice of ancient glaciers and permafrost are extremely old. The search for life on Mars will begin in Siberia - Russian and Marshall scientists will look for life forms in the inhospitable realm of Siberian permafrost. 26 NASA's Astrobiology Institute , based at Ames Research Center.