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Here, we review the current state of knowledge concerning high-elevation members of the extremophilic Cryptococcus albidus clade (now classified as the genus Naganishia). These fungi dominate eukaryotic microbial communities across the highest elevation, soil-like material (tephra) on volcanoes such as Llullaillaco, Socompa, and Saírecabur in the Atacama region of Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia. Recent studies indicate that Naganishia species are among the most resistant organisms to UV radiation, and a strain of N. friedmannii from Volcán Llullaillaco is the first organism that is known to grow during the extreme, diurnal freeze-thaw cycles that occur on a continuous basis at elevations above 6000 m.a.s.l. in the Atacama region. These and other extremophilic traits discussed in this review may serve a dual purpose of allowing Naganishia species to survive long-distance transport through the atmosphere and to survive the extreme conditions found at high elevations. Current evidence indicates that there are frequent dispersal events between high-elevation volcanoes of Atacama region and the Dry Valleys of Antarctica via “Rossby Wave” merging of the polar and sub-tropical jet streams. This dispersal hypothesis needs further verification, as does the hypothesis that Naganishia species are flexible “opportunitrophs” that can grow during rare periods of water (from melting snow) and nutrient availability (from Aeolian inputs) in one of the most extreme terrestrial habitats on Earth.

Here, we review the current state of knowledge concerning high-elevation members of the extremophilic Cryptococcus albidus clade (now classified as the genus Naganishia). These fungi dominate eukaryotic microbial communities across the highest elevation, soil-like material (tephra) on volcanoes such as Llullaillaco, Socompa, and Saírecabur in the Atacama region of Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia. Recent studies indicate that Naganishia species are among the most resistant organisms to UV radiation, and a strain of N. friedmannii from Volcán Llullaillaco is the first organism that is known to grow during the extreme, diurnal freeze-thaw cycles that occur on a continuous basis at elevations above 6000 m.a.s.l. in the Atacama region. These and other extremophilic traits discussed in this review may serve a dual purpose of allowing Naganishia species to survive long-distance transport through the atmosphere and to survive the extreme conditions found at high elevations. Current evidence indicates that there are frequent dispersal events between high-elevation volcanoes of Atacama region and the Dry Valleys of Antarctica via "Rossby Wave" merging of the polar and sub-tropical jet streams. This dispersal hypothesis needs further verification, as does the hypothesis that Naganishia species are flexible "opportunitrophs" that can grow during rare periods of water (from melting snow) and nutrient availability (from Aeolian inputs) in one of the most extreme terrestrial habitats on Earth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soils above 6000 m.a.s.l. are among the most extreme environments on Earth, especially on high, dry volcanoes where soil temperatures cycle between −10 and 30 °C on a typical summer day. Previous studies have shown that such sites are dominated by yeast in the cryophilic Cryptococcus group, but it is unclear if they can actually grow (or are just surviving) under extreme freeze-thaw conditions. We carried out a series of experiments to determine if Cryptococcus could grow during freeze-thaw cycles similar to those measured under field conditions. We found that Cryptococcus phylotypes increased in relative abundance in soils subjected to 48 days of freeze-thaw cycles, becoming the dominant organisms in the soil. In addition, pure cultures of Cryptococcus isolated from these same soils were able to grow in liquid cultures subjected to daily freeze-thaw cycles, despite the fact that the culture medium froze solid every night. Furthermore, we showed that this organism is metabolically versatile and phylogenetically almost identical to strains from Antarctic Dry Valley soils. Taken together these results indicate that this organism has unique metabolic and temperature adaptations that make it able to thrive in one of the harshest and climatically volatile places on Earth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Archibarca lineament is one of several NW–SE-trending transverse lineaments that cut across the Central Andes of Argentina and Chile. Central Andean, Late Miocene–Quaternary subduction-related volcanism is mainly restricted to a ∼50-km-wide arc forming the approximately N–S axis of the Cordillera, but extends along the transverse lineaments for up to 200 km to the SE. Lineaments are interpreted to be deep-seated, long-lived basement structures or anisotropies, which can control the localization of magmatism and, in some cases, magmatic–hydrothermal ore deposits (e.g., the Escondida porphyry Cu deposit, Chile). As a first step towards exploring the regional-scale controls on magmatism and related mineralization exerted by such structures, the styles of volcanism and near-surface hydrothermal activity along a segment of the Archibarca lineament in the Puna of northwest Argentina are described here. Volcanic structures have been mapped and sampled along a 50-km transect from Cerro Llullaillaco, a large medium-K dacitic Quaternary stratovolcano, to Corrida de Cori, a range of Pliocene–Pleistocene high-K andesitic vents. Apart from a southeastward increase in K content and the predominance of dacitic lavas at Cerro Llullaillaco, the geochemical affinity of late Cenozoic volcanic rocks varies little in time or space. This uniformity extends further SE to Cerro Gala´n, where published data closely match the results from the study area. In detail, trace element compositions reveal the localized (in both time and space) effects of crustal contamination (recognized as Th>10 ppm), and depth of fractionation (1/Yb>0.7 ppm−1, reflecting garnet residue). Explosive volcanic rocks such as ignimbrites show the strongest indications of crustal contamination, whereas the Cerro Llullaillaco dacite lavas mostly record significant garnet fractionation. Other lavas from the Llullaillaco area, including one flow from Cerro Llullaillaco, do not show garnet control, suggesting that different batches of magma stalled and fractionated at different levels in a thick (∼60-km) crust prior to eruption. The youngest volcanism in the Corrida de Cori area is represented by olivine–phyric basaltic andesite cinder cones and flows. The ascent of these relatively primitive magmas appears to have been controlled by late Quaternary normal faults, which directly tapped deeply derived melts. The Corrida de Cori volcanic range has experienced intense fumarolic alteration with deposition of abundant sulfate and native sulfur (previously mined at Mina Julia). Deeper levels of hydrothermal alteration have been sampled by an ignimbrite erupted from Cerro Escorial, which, among other lithic clasts, contains numerous fragments of vein quartz. Fluid inclusions in this quartz record evidence for a boiling, high-salinity fluid, which may represent a link between a high temperature magmatic–hydrothermal system at depth (i.e., a porphyry-type system) and shallow-level fumarolic activity. An ignimbrite erupted from Cerro Escorial preserves textures such as internal wave forms between flow units and surface wave morphologies at its distal limits that indicate flow as a series of dense turbulent pulses, which interdigitated and interfered with one another. Lithic lag breccias occur near the base of the flow proximal to the vent, but no air-fall deposits are preserved, probably due to transport of ash far from the vent by strong, high-altitude winds. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]