A subsurface tephra layer in the Atacama Desert is providing insight into how life may have colonized the ancient supercontinent of Kenorland. The Atacama Desert is being studied as an analog for the search for life on Mars, with research focusing on the presence of microbial life in the desert's subsurface. The discovery has implications for the possibility of life on Mars, with some studies suggesting that microbial life can be transported across the desert through aeolian processes.