LifeMet: Report on the 2024–2025 meteorite recovery expedition in Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica for the study of microbe–meteorite interactionsOPEN ACCESS
Rachael Lappan, Rachel S. Kirby, Andrew G. Tomkins
MAPS, First published: 09 June 2026
“Since the discovery of nine meteorites near the Yamato mountains in 1969, Antarctica has been recognized as a superb location for meteorite recovery. While Antarctic recovery expeditions prioritize meteorite preservation for mineralogical and planetary studies, meteorites are not typically collected for biological applications. The LifeMet expedition was the first Australian Antarctic meteorite recovery expedition, conducted in the 2024–2025 austral summer in the Wohlthat and Orvin Mountains in Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica. The expedition had two primary objectives: (1) to examine whether Antarctic microorganisms colonize and consume nutrients from meteorites, providing insights into microbial ecosystem formation, interactions with uncommon minerals and extremophile survival strategies in Antarctica; and (2) to evaluate the practical and logistical factors influencing meteorite recovery in these regions, and the suitability of recovery approaches for biological sampling. A total of 13 stones, including one confirmed meteorite, were recovered. Adjacent environments (air, sediment, snow, ice, and terrestrial rocks) were sampled to characterize microbial sources. We found that low-altitude blue ice zones were poorly suited to meteorite recovery; however, microbe–meteorite interactions may be enhanced in these areas due to warmer temperatures and periodic ice melting. Our observations suggest that the low albedo of meteorites may promote the formation of periodically water-filled potholes and cryoconite, which may support microbial proliferation. In contrast, meteorites stranded on nunataks are minimally oxidized. Based on our observations at ~71°S, blue ice fields at altitudes above ~2000 m are better suited to meteorite recovery at current climatic conditions.”
