Exploration of deep intraterrestrial microbial life: current perspectives
k. Pedersen 2000 FEMS Microbiology Letters v185, p9
This FEMS Microbiology Letters paper presents a review of research regarding deep terrestrial microorganisms. Intraterrestrial life (microbes living within rock) has been found at depths of several thousand meters in deep sea floor sediments and in the basement crust beneath the sediments. It has also been found at up to 2800-m depth in continental sedimentary rocks, 5300-m depth in igneous rock aquifers and in fluid inclusions in ancient salt deposits. The biomass of these intraterrestrial organisms may be equal to the total weight of all marine and terrestrial plants. Several prospective research areas are foreseen to focus on the importance of microbial communities for metabolic processes such as anaerobic utilization of hydrocarbons and anaerobic methane oxidation.
