http://www.newsweek.com/there-life-mars-volcanic-mount-kilauea-may-hold-answer-947814

Scientists who can’t afford to jet off to Mars are staying terrestrial and studying the next best thing: volcanic flow from Hawaii’s Mount Kilauea.

The surface of Mars is mostly covered in basaltic rock. When lava cools rapidly, it becomes basaltic rock, similar to that on Mars. Biologists, volcanologists, astronauts and other scientists hoping to better understand the geology of the red planet have traveled to the Big Island of Hawaii, donned space suits and acted as extra-terrestrial scientists, observing and taking measurements on the lava flow.