Everything Everywhere Daily The Deep Biosphere
Mar 3, 2021
Dive into the intriguing world of the Deep Biosphere, where unseen life forms thrive in extreme environments beneath our feet. Discover how these hidden ecosystems may outstrip all known life on the surface in terms of biomass. Groundbreaking research challenges conventional wisdom about microbial life, revealing their resilience and adaptability. These findings not only reshape our understanding of Earth’s biodiversity but also hint at the possibilities of life beyond our planet.
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Definition And Scale Of The Deep Biosphere
- The deep biosphere refers to life below ~2 meters on land and far beneath the seafloor down to kilometers.
- It challenges assumptions that life needs surface conditions like light and oxygen.
Early Surprising Microbe Discoveries
- Early 20th-century oil wells and coal samples yielded microbes where life was thought impossible.
- Researchers still grew bacteria from deep samples despite initial dismissal as contamination.
Gold's Transformative Hypothesis
- Thomas Gold's paper proposed a vast hidden biosphere miles down whose mass could rival surface life.
- Subsequent decades of research strengthened this hypothesis with more deep-life evidence.
