Diapherotrites 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.