Deep biosphere has endured mountain-building and erosion over hundreds of millions of years
A new study reveals that microbial life deep within Earth has persisted and repeatedly flourished through hundreds of millions of years of mountain-building and erosion.
A new study reveals that microbial life deep within Earth has persisted and repeatedly flourished through hundreds of millions of years of mountain-building and erosion.
The short version
- By analyzing minerals, fluids and gases from a 2.3-kilometer-deep (1.4-mile-deep) borehole in central Sweden, researchers have uncovered episodic bursts of methane-producing life linked to major geological events that shaped Scandinavia.
- The paper is published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment.
- This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies .
What happened
The paper is published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment . The deep continental subsurface is one of Earth's least explored ecosystems.
Why it matters
Yet it hosts microbial communities capable of ancient metabolisms such as methanogenesis—the production of methane by microorganisms.
Summary by Nerd News Network. Read the full article at Phys.org via the links above and below.