Beacon Valley

For the neighborhood in Cape Town, South Africa, see Beacon Valley, Mitchells Plain.

Beacon Valley (77°49′S 160°39′E) is an ice-free valley between Pyramid Mountain and Beacon Heights, in the Quartermain Mountains of Victoria Land, Antarctica. It was mapped by the British Antarctic Expedition, 1910–13, and named by the Victoria University of Wellington Antarctic Expedition (VUWAE) (1958–59) after Beacon Heights.

Beacon Valley Camp
Field Camp
A helicopter prepares to land at Beacon Valley camp.
Beacon Valley Camp Location of Beacon Valley in Antarctica
Coordinates: 77°51′32″S 160°34′26″E
Country	United States
Location in Antarctica	Beacon Valley Victoria Land Antarctica
Established	2004 (2004)
Type	Seasonal
Status	Operational

Astrobiological characteristics

Researchers trek through Antarctica's Beacon Valley, one of the most Mars-like places on Earth. Image credit: NASA

The central region of Beacon valley is considered to be one of the best terrestrial analogues for the current conditions on Mars. There is snowdrift and limited melting around the edges and occasionally in the central region, but for the most part, moisture is only found as thin films of brine around permafrost structures. It has slightly alkaline salt rich soil.^[1][2]

References

1. McKay, Christopher P. (2008). "Snow recurrence sets the depth of dry permafrost at high elevations in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica" (PDF). Antarctic Science. 21 (1): 89–94. doi:10.1017/S0954102008001508. ISSN 0954-1020. S2CID 129096753.^{[permanent dead link]}
2. The Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute, The Open University (5 December 2012). "TN2: The Catalogue of Planetary Analogues, section 1.6.3" (PDF). Under ESA contract: 4000104716/11/NL/AF.

•  This article incorporates public domain material from "Beacon Valley". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.