biome Archives - Astrobiology

Schematic of a terrestrial subsurface environment. The top layer of the subsurface is generally unsaturated, with saturated layers below. Most aquifers exist in the saturated zone, within the top 100 m from the subsurface. The saturated zone consists of aquifers in permeable rock, loose material, or fractured rock. Outside of aquifers, rock fractures within the saturated zone are often water-filled. As depth increases, so do the temperature and pressure, whereas microbial diversity and abundance are highest closer to the surface. Organic carbon, water, and oxygen become increasingly unavailable with depth, whereas H2, CO2, and CH4 gases are abundant in the deep subsurface. -- ISME Journal

Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report

Microbial Ecology Of The Deep Terrestrial Subsurface

by Keith CowingMarch 25, 2025March 25, 2025

The terrestrial subsurface hosts microbial communities that, collectively, are predicted to comprise as many microbial cells as global surface soils.

Several key access “windows” provide entry points to the crustal biosphere: 1 Hydrothermal vents at mid-ocean ridges (MORs), featuring both diffuse and focused high-temperature flows (up to ~400°C) and event plumes associated with seafloor eruptions; 2 Warm water seeps (

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Habitable Zones, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

The Subseafloor Crustal Biosphere: Ocean’s Hidden Biogeochemical Reactor

by Keith CowingJanuary 7, 2025January 7, 2025

Underlying the thick sediment layer in ocean basins, the flow of seawater through the cracked and porous upper igneous crust supports a previously hidden and largely unexplored active subsurface microbial […]

Term-map analysis results by VOSviewer depicting three major emerging clusters in astrobiology research with different levels of interconnection among terms. The top 300 linkages are represented. A term’s importance is indicated by the size of the circle. -- Life

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrobiology (general), Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Ceres, Enceladus, Europa, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Life Support Systems, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Mimas, Missions & Hardware, Origin & Evolution of Life, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Space Life Science, Status Report, Titan, Tricorders & Sensors, Triton, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Marine Science Can Contribute to the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Life

by Keith CowingJune 9, 2024June 9, 2024

Abstract: Life on our planet likely evolved in the ocean, and thus exo-oceans are key habitats to search for extraterrestrial life. We conducted a data-driven bibliographic survey on the astrobiology […]