The most deaf places on Earth. Are there places on Earth so harsh where there is no life?
The Atacama Desert in northern Chile looks like nothing can survive there. This is one of the driest places in the world, and some parts of it resemble the Martian landscape: 50 years can pass and not a drop of rain falls here.
Atacama Desert
However, there is life in the Atacama. Microorganisms called "endoliths" hide in rock crevices where there is enough water for them to survive.
“They support a whole community of other organisms that feed on the by-products of their metabolism. And they're all just sitting right there in the rocks. It's pretty exciting"
It seems that life has a lot of clever ways to save itself. Microorganisms have been around for 4 billion years, so they have had enough time to adapt to even the most extreme environmental conditions.
Most researchers believe
that 150°C is the theoretical limit
for the existence of life
But are there places on Earth that are so harsh that they have become sterile?
Heat is a good starting point for answering this question.
Scientists are currently monitoring how methane-producing hyperthermophilic bacteria resist the heat.
These bacteria live deep in the sea, near the edges thermal springs. Some of these organisms can grow at 122°C. Most researchers believe that 150°C is the theoretical limit for life to exist.
At this temperature, proteins begin to break down and chemical reactions cannot take place - a quirk of biochemistry characteristic of life on Earth. This means that bacteria can thrive around hot springs, but not inside hot springs.
The same applies to the craters of active volcanoes.
"I really think temperature is the most hostile parameter"
But high blood pressure seems to be a less serious problem for life. This means that it is heat that limits the depth at which life exists below the surface of the planet. The center of the planet with a temperature of 6000 ° C, of course, excludes all life, although the maximum depth at which life occurs is still an open question.
A microorganism called "Desulforudis audaxviator" was discovered almost 3.2 km below the surface of the Earth, in a South African gold mine. It has not been in contact with the surface for millions of years, and it survives by getting nutrients from rocks that undergo radioactive decay.
Desulforudis audax viator
Life exists in conditions of negative temperatures.
For example, bacteria from the genus Psychrobacter thrive at minus 10°C in Siberian permafrost and Antarctic glacial silt. To survive in such conditions, microorganisms have special membranes, a special protein structure, and their cells contain antifreeze molecules.
As for radiation, it usually does not interfere with microorganisms, until they hit the epicenter of a nuclear explosion. In this case, they will burn out. However, they do well in containers with radioactive waste, or in the immediate vicinity of the epicenter of the disaster on Chernobyl nuclear power plant, For example.
Deinococcus radiodurans is one of the most radiation-resistant microorganisms. It can survive in outer space, and can withstand doses of 15,000 Gy of radiation (Gray is the standard unit for absorbed dose of ionizing radiation). As for humans, a dose of 5 Gy is lethal for them.
Deinococcus radiodurans
In addition, the growth of some microorganisms may depend on arsenic, mercury and other heavy metals, and some microorganisms are very fond of cyanide.
In Kamchatka, near hot springs, whole colonies of microorganisms successfully assimilate sulfur and carbon monoxide.
“It is very difficult to find a chemical that can kill all life in general”
Frank Robb, microbiologist at the University of Maryland
However, there are isolated exceptions to this rule.
In Antarctica there is Lake Don Juan, this is the most salt water on the planet. The salt content in water reaches 40% (For comparison: in the Dead Sea - about 33%).
Lake Don Juan
Researchers have been able to detect signs of microbes in the lake, but they are still trying to figure out whether these were microbes that grew and multiplied in the lake, or were brought there from other places. So Don Juan is considered "an example of a place on the planet where you can expect life to exist, but you can't check if it's active," said Pennsylvania State University's Corine Bakermans.
By now, only extreme heat plus a certain artificially created environment in the laboratory can provide conditions for complete sterility, conditions in which there will be no signs of life.
New micro-organisms are regularly discovered, pushing the boundaries of life as we understand it. How far these boundaries of understanding will be pushed is unknown.
"It's much harder to prove something that doesn't exist than something that actually exists."
Helena Santos, microphysiologist at the New University of Lisbon
Even if there are lonely islands of infertility in nature, we should not forget that the environment is constantly changing. If extremophile microbes teach us anything, it's that organisms can always adapt.
"Give them enough time and they will find their way"
Jocelyn Diruggiero, microbiologist at Johns Hopkins University
Incredible Facts
There are still places on Earth where no human foot has set foot.
But also on our planet there are places where people should not have lived, but they still live there.
Whether it's unbearable heat, Siberian frosts, or an island that is almost impossible to get to, some people are unwilling or unable to leave their places of residence for one reason or another.
Here is a list of 25 such places.
25. Atacama Desert, Chile/Peru
This desert is considered the driest place on Earth. It rains here 4 times in a thousand years.
Temperatures can range from incredibly cold at night to stifling heat during the day.
Despite these conditions, over 1 million people consider the desert their home, and most of them work in a copper mine.
24. Verkhoyansk, Russia
Despite the fact that this is one of the coldest places on our planet, and officially coldest city on earth, Verkhoyansk is still inhabited.
Where the temperature reached the mark -69.8 degrees Celsius lives a little over 1,200 people.
23. Merapi Volcano, Indonesia
This is the largest in the country active volcano, which is located on the island of Java, near the city of Yogyakarta.
Merapi is also called " fiery mountain", And it erupted more than 60 times in 500 years. But this did not force nearly a quarter of a million residents to leave their homes, located on fertile land in the shadow of a volcano.
22. Kivu (Lake), Rwanda/Democratic Republic of the Congo
At the bottom of this lake are several million cubic meters of methane and carbon dioxide . If all this comes to the surface, more than 2 million people could be affected.
21. Pitcairn Islands
Sometimes they are called "the smallest democracy on Earth." This state is the place of residence for 50 residents from 9 families.
On the island no harbor or airport- can only be reached by canoe. But there is high-speed Internet.
20. Cook Islands, Australia and Oceania
Only 4 people live here. Used to be here railroad station where the trains were fueled to cross longest straight road on earth.
Since nothing grows on the island, the inhabitants have to bring all the food and drinking water by boat.
19. Minqin, China
This area has a sad future. The rapid growth of the population has led to the fact that in place the only river passing through the district desert formed.
Here left only 155 square kilometers of fertile land.
18. La Rinconada, Peru
The city is located in the Andes at an altitude of about 5 100 meters above sea level. That makes La Rinconada the highest human settlement on the planet. You can get into the city only by climbing a narrow mountain road.
Plus, its ecology is completely unfavorable. Except almost underdeveloped sewerage and wastewater systems, here you can find high mercury content, which remains after gold mining.
live here about 30,000 people, many of which suffer from mercury poisoning.
17. Chernobyl, Ukraine
After a tragic accident that happened in 1986, almost all the inhabitants of this city were evacuated.
To date some workers still live in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, but the time of their stay is limited - only a few days a week they can live there.
It should be noted that the Exclusion Zone is a territory into which no free access, since after the accident she was subjected to intense contamination with long-lived radionuclides.
16. Linfen, China
Until 1978, this city was known for its pure spring water, greenery and rich agricultural culture, which earned it the nickname " Modern city fruits and flowers."
But after the city was turned into main industrial centre coal mining, furnishings environment changed drastically.
On this moment it is one of the most polluted cities in the world: air polluted with ash, carbon, leadAndorganic chemicals.
15. Pompeii, Italy
After the destruction brought by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius on August 24, 79, this ancient Roman city, located in the Campania region and buried under volcanic ash, is still a place of residence for some people.
And all because of the fertile land. Even despite the fact that frozen lava lies at every step, people consider the risk of living in the city justified.
14. Socotra (island), Yemen
Known as "the most ethereal place on Earth", this island is located in the northwest indian ocean, about 250 km from the Somali Peninsula, and 350 km south of the Arabian Peninsula.
This makes it so isolated from the rest of the world that most of the flora and faunaimpossible to findnowhere else.
There are only two roads here, but the inhabitants, who number just over 40,000, it does not bother.
Socotra is inhabited mainly by shepherds, fishermen and farmers - they all breed frankincense and aloe, as well as sheep and goats.
13. Barrow (Alaska), USA
Barrow is most northern city in USA. It is located about 2,100 km from the North Pole, which makes the city incredibly cold.
In addition, Barrow is included in the list of settlements that can "boast" the harshest environmental conditions.
Only 109 days a year the temperature can rise above 0 degrees Celsius. On the average the temperature in the city is below zero for 324 days a year. Plus, frosts and snowfalls can begin in any month, and the polar nights here are incredibly long.
12. Tristan da Cunha (Islands)
Together with Easter Island and the Pitcairn Islands, it is on the list the most remote settlements on the planet.
Tristan da Cunha is located 2,816 km from South Africa and 3,360 km from South America. You can only get here by fishing boats or scientific vessels. but be careful - locals not very welcoming to tourists.
It is worth noting that immigration is illegal here.
11. Bajo, Philippines
This is not so much a locality as an ethnic group that lives in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Indigenous peoples and tribes from nearby areas were nicknamed "Sea Gypsies" because of their way of life. Even though more and more Bajo decide to move to land, there are families who continue to life on the water.
They live without drinking water and electricity, and they stick to the shore only when it is necessary to bury the dead.
10. Kifuka, Democratic Republic of the Congo
If you are afraid of lightning, then you will definitely not like it here. This village is where lightning strikes regularly, and for each square kilometer there are about 60 lightning strikes every year.
9. Meghalaya, India
This state in India is famous for its torrential downpours and monsoons. The town of Cherrapunji, which is located in this state, has become famous as the rainiest place on Earth - rainfall exceeds 11,000 mm. This amount of precipitation led to the emergence of unique plants.
8. Muli, Faroe Islands
Despite its extremely unstable weather and the complete or partial absence of minerals and vegetation, four residents of this tiny village on Faroe Islands until they are about to leave their home.
7. Motuo, China
This is the place where incredibly hard to get to. The path to this isolated locality considered the most difficult in the world. Here live about 10,000 people.
Here no roads and no communication with the outside world. To get to the mysterious (the word "Motuo" means "hidden, mysterious lotus") you need to make your way through the mountains, and the journey can take a week.
6. Norilsk, Russia
Besides the fact that Norilsk is one of coldest cities on earth, it is also one of most environmentally polluted cities on our planet.
5. Dallol, Ethiopia
This settlement can "boast" of the most high average annual temperature on Earth. Between 1960 and 1966, the highest mean annual temperature- 34 degrees Celsius.
In addition, Dallol - one of the most remote places on the ground. Here no roads, and to get to it, you need to use caravan routes, which are sent to collect and deliver salt.
Nearby, below sea level, is Dallol volcano (last eruption in 1926). There are no exact statistics on how many people live here.
4. La Oroya, Peru
This city is famous mining and metallurgical industries. But these industries have listed the city most environmentally polluted cities in the world.
Due to lead smelting, literally all residents, including children, have some degree of lead poisoning.
The average life expectancy in this city is 51 years for men and 55 years for women. It is worth noting that on average in the country, people live 20 years more.
The main cause of death is oncology. Here there is many genetic deformities, because for several generations they have not left this lead shell.
3. Oymyakon, Russia
This village is known as one of the "Poles of Cold", ie. region where registered the most low temperature on the ground.
About 500 people live here (2012). The length of the day in Oymyakon can vary from 3 hours in December to 21 hours in the summer.
In January average monthly temperature-46.4 degrees Celsius(sometimes it can go down to -50).
Surprisingly, it is a fact: there are still places on our planet where no human has ever set foot! They are only photographed from aircraft or from space orbit.
According to scientists, about thirty percent of the Earth's surface has yet to be "explored" by expeditions. Is it a lot or a little? I believe that a lot, since we are talking about dry land. The largest unexplored (or poorly explored) territories are in South America. First of all, it is worth immediately identifying the Amazon basin with its virgin forests. There and now, in our time, there are tribes that have never had any contact with modern civilization. The forests and rivers of the Amazon hold many secrets. In the jungle, you can easily be a dinner for wild predatory animals. Crocodiles and anacondas will be happy to bite you in the rivers.
The second most important "blank spot" in the world is North-Eastern Siberia. There are very few roads. Taiga, mountains, very harsh climate do not allow you to explore this vast territory well. Other places can only be reached by helicopter. Severe cold (on average minus 45 degrees) in winter, dense hordes of mosquitoes, midges, gadflies in summer ... permafrost. To complete the picture, it must also be said that North-Eastern Siberia is the most sparsely populated territory of Eurasia.
Third little explored place The planet is considered to be Antarctica. Although its research has been carried out by the efforts of scientists from several countries for more than a decade, about half of the territory is still only approximately indicated on the map. And even then from the air, and not by other (more reliable in terms of accuracy) methods. The least explored territory of Antarctica is its western part.
In fourth place is Greenland. It is 80 percent covered in ice. And this is really a "blank spot" on the maps. Global warming has led to the fact that the ice of Greenland recedes and opens up unknown mountains, depressions, plains. There were even new rivers.
However, there are places on Earth that are less famous in terms of their degree of study, but more exotic. For example, the northern mountains of Colombia. No scientific expedition would dare to go to those places. Cause? This part of Colombia is under the complete control of the armed combat units of drug traffickers. They don't know diplomacy.
Another exotic, but also extremely dangerous place for research on the planet - Papua New Guinea. More than half of its territory has never had any scientific expeditions. Cause? In the mountains and forests of this country there are tribes of cannibals. How many of them in number is unknown. But they are hostile to any contact with them and, at every opportunity, capture those who dare to pass through their territory. The end of captivity is always the same - a bloody rite of eating aliens.
Acquaintance with Namibia can be no less dangerous. Her rich wild animal world constantly attracts poachers armed with the most modern small arms. More than 2,500 cheetahs live in Namibia - a quarter of all cheetahs on the planet. Although the constitution of this country has a special article on the protection of wild animals, poachers simply meet with automatic fire any attempts to detain them or even photograph them. It is clear that under such conditions there can be no talk of any scientific research.
The Tibetan Plateau is also poorly studied. But here the reason is completely different - an almost Martian landscape, complete desertion, absolute impassability. You will be very lucky if local guide will be able to orient correctly. Otherwise, the entire expedition will face certain painful death due to hellish conditions. By the way, cartographers still cannot even make common card Tibetan plateau. You can now go in any direction along it and not know what will be ahead. Monotonous mountains and rocks create the feeling of being on an unknown planet.
On Earth there is not only a part of the land unknown to research. Scientists say that the moon is much better studied than sea depths our planet. And as an example - Mariana deep sea trench. Only very recently (in 2011) its relief was obtained from a US military vessel using a multibeam echo sounder. What is there, in the hollow itself, is unknown. But one of the last descents of the bathysphere almost ended in tragedy. The strongest titanium cable was “sawed” by an unknown sea creature on great depth. By some miracle it didn't break. What kind of monster tried to "gnaw through" a metal cable at a depth of many kilometers?
We will not soon realize that the world will become even more saturated than it is today. This is hard to believe for people who can't get to the right section in a crowded market in Delhi. We can't imagine Japan's bustling capital ever moving at astronomical speeds. Residents of all major metropolitan areas refuse to believe that after some time in the subway car at rush hour it will be impossible to breathe in or breathe out. Indeed, we already exist in a crowded world, but what awaits us in the foreseeable future?
Approximate forecasts
It is impossible to predict with absolute accuracy how the population will change in the coming decades. Experts are sure of only one thing: population density in major metropolitan areas will increase more and more, and the world will become a more crowded place. According to new estimates projected by the United Nations, by 2030 the population will increase to 8.4 billion inhabitants, instead of the current 7.3 billion people. Based on these calculations, our planet by the middle of this century will be inhabited by about 10 billion people. By the end of the century, that figure could rise to a staggering 11.2 billion inhabitants.
Can't hide from people, can't hide
It is impossible to imagine that more than 10 billion people will soon live on our planet. It already seems to us that there is a catastrophic lack of space for a more spacious and free existence, and our homes are more and more like claustrophobic chambers. Even if you go away for several tens of kilometers from densely populated cities, you can meet crowds of citizens trying to escape from the hustle and bustle at least for the weekend. It seems that everything forest trails trampled down in places of rest, and on summer beaches the apple has nowhere to fall.
That is why people move further, hundreds of kilometers from the metropolis. Only they are not at all alone in their desire to hide from the bustle of the city and escape from human eyes. Yes, some National parks in the United States of America are periodically forced to close for several hours due to traffic congestion.
Man masters isolated places
The tendency to develop and study isolated places is obvious. It seems that the human foot has stepped even in the most inaccessible regions. Now you can easily find nomads in the Gobi desert, Berbers in the Sahara and polar explorers in the Arctic camp. Obviously, as the world's population grows, there will be no unexplored corners at all. And what will happen to us next? Is it possible that in a couple of centuries we will fly to explore outer space for life?
Expert opinion
Researchers say that before the end of this century most of population growth is expected in cities. Based on the outlined trend, it will be easier for scientists to predict what awaits us in the near future and what issues require thorough study.
Difficulties with living in a private sector
For several decades, there has been a real flight of people from the villages to the cities. Agriculture is becoming more and more mechanized, and industries are seeing a reduction in the number of employees. It has become more difficult for people to survive in conditions of energy-intensive farming. Indeed, in cities it is much easier to arrange your life and find a job. According to statistics in the 30s of the 20th century rural population accounted for 70% of the total.
Today, less than half of the inhabitants of our planet live in villages. According to experts, by the middle of this century, about two-thirds of the world's inhabitants will live in cities. Imagine a real situation: from now on, every 4-5 days the urban population on the planet will increase by one million people.
Conclusion
Experts say that in the near future, about half of the world's population will live in small towns, numbering from half a million to three million people. The rest of the people will huddle in the cities. Cities that can accommodate more than 10 million people have a rapidly developing economy. So, in China, India and Nigeria, most of the population will prefer to go to work in one of the megacities.
Cities and regions will expand geographically, population density will inevitably increase. Although areas in metropolitan areas will be overcrowded, their infrastructure will be well connected to services. And this means that people can exist in a much greater density, and in the next 100 years there will be enough space for everyone on Earth.
Getting to any of the places on this list will be extremely difficult, even with modern development technology will have to do quite a bit hard way. Are you ready to conquer Mother Nature? We present to your attention a selection of the 10 least explored places on Earth, where nature has been preserved in its original form, and all processes go on as usual, without human intervention.
Greenland ice sheet
First discovered by Eric the Red, this land is covered in 80% ice. The ice sheet, which is 600 square miles in size, is believed to melt in about 2,000 years at current rates, so you still have a few millennia to visit. You can admire the beauties of these places in the article about the ice canyons of Greenland, or in other articles on LifeGlobe.
Northern mountains of Colombia
Northern Mountains The Colombians were mostly explored only by guerrilla fighters and criminals. Because of this, it is difficult to say exactly how many mountains have actually been discovered and explored. Most of the local local tribes are peaceful here, and scientists discover new representatives of flora and fauna with each new expedition.
Rainforests Amazons
Namibia
With 2.1 million people spread over 300,000 square miles, it's no surprise that Namibia is known as the world's least populated country in Africa. For animals like the Cheetah and Rhino, Namibia is the perfect haven for poachers. This is due to the program for the protection of the natural world, spelled out in the Namibian government constitution. This the only country in the world that did so.
Tristan da Cunha
Close to the mainland South Africa, Tristan da Cunha is one of the most isolated islands in the world, only 7 miles long. This island has a temperate climate which makes it perfect for giant elephant seals, shorebirds and waterfowl. Tristan hotspot - area with volcanic activity, which forms the islands of an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean.
Northeastern Siberia
Siberia is one of the most parts of Russia, which covers about 70% of the territory of the Country. However, only 30% of its population lives here. In fact, most of the population in Siberia is somehow connected with oil production.
Gankar Punsum
The Gankar Punsum Mountains are at the top of the list of the highest mountains in the world. On the borders of Tibet, China and Bhutan, these great heights little explored, both due to removal and political, social, and spiritual problems between the three countries.
Antarctica
Antarctica is often noted as the world's largest ice mass, hard to reach for scientists. IN Lately Antarctic exploration has intensified as global warming has made it possible to stay here for longer periods.
Mariana Trench
This area is the most unexplored in the world. deep sea trench, Mariana Trench is located near Guam and Mariana Islands. It wasn't until 2011 that the US Navy imaged the topography of the Mariana Trench from a hydrographic ship using a multibeam echo sounder.
