Subterranean biosphere contains billions of tonnes of life
Samples taken from boreholes 5 kilometres deep suggest that the underground ecosystem contains 70% of Earth’s bacteria and archaea. Scientists estimate that between 15 billion and 23 billion tonnes of micro-organisms live in this virtually unexplored region. Some of the microbes have been alive for thousands of years, and survive on methane in the absence of sunlight. “It’s like finding a whole new reservoir of life on Earth,” says microbiologist Karen Lloyd.
The Guardian | 7 min read
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