This Science News article describes some of the harmful effects of microbes that live within rocks beneath the Earth's surface. In some cases, these microbes may be contributing to major environmental problems such as acid mine drainage and contamination of groundwater. In other cases, microbes play a role in breaking down sulfide minerals in the ocean crust. The author presents a very general overview of the metabolism responsible for the production of harmful wastes. The article features links to papers used as references as well as related articles.
This description of a site outside SERC has not been vetted by SERC staff and may be incomplete or incorrect. If you
have information we can use to flesh out or correct this record let us know.
This resource is referenced here:Subject:
Biology:Ecology:Habitats:Within Rock,
Biology:Biogeochemistry,
Microbiology
Resource Type:
Scientific Resources:Overview/Reference Work
Grade Level: General Public, College Lower (13-14), High School (9-12), Middle (6-8)
Extreme Environments: Acidic
Topics:
Biosphere:Biogeochemistry,
Ecology:Habitats:Within Rock,
Biosphere:Microbiology
Keywords: endolith, acid mine drainage
