Antarctica
Field sites in the Antarctic Dry Valleys serve as useful (and relatively nearby) analogs to the surface of Mars for several reasons. The environmental similarities include low mean temperatures, strong and desiccating winds, lack of rain, sparse snowfall, sublimation, diurnal freeze-thaw cycles, low humidity, high solar radiation, and the presence of salts in the soils. A team of planetary scientists have recently reexamined earlier work on cold Antarctic desert soils to better understand the Martian near-surface environment and weathering processes.
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The Atacama Desert is the most arid region on Earth. It may also be the most lifeless. In the interior of the desert, rain is measured in millimeters per decade and solar radiation is intense because of the high altitude. But there is life where the desert meets coastal mountains. Organisms have been discovered that survive on sunlight and fog. Field investigation over three years will use a rover to make long transects in the Atacama. The rover will support panoramic imagers, microscopic imagers, spectrometers, as well as mechanisms for shallow subsurface access. >>Read More and News Release

Australian Outback
A wide range of research projects were carried out within an approximately two hundred kilometer radius of Arkaroola in the Australian Outback, another Mars-like location here on Earth. The goal of the expeditions is to develop strategies and technologies that will support a successful future human Mars mission. This expedition will culminate in the selection of the precise site in the Arkaroola area for the construction of MARS-OZ, one of the four Mars Analog Research Stations planned worldwide. It will also lay the groundwork for future expeditions and research by Mars Society Australia in the Arkaroola region.
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High Desert of Utah
At the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS), teams of hard working volunteers, working in full simulation mode in a painted desert located in the Morrison Formation of the Jurassic Period (where many dinosyaur fossils are found), continue to explore the surrounding terrain, cataloging more waypoints, and analyzing the geology and biology of this fascinating and remarkably Mars-like region.
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Rio Tinto, Spain
Studying the organisms of the Rio Tinto, a highly acitic, iron-rich river, is teaching astrobiologists about the diversity of life that can survive such extreme conditions. The river is also serving as an experimental site for remote drilling, sample handling, and instrumentation to help astrobiologists prepare for remote surveys of Mars.
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