Deep biosphere
The deep biosphere is the biosphere of the earth's crust . It mainly consists of bacteria, archaea , viruses and fungi.
So far, microorganisms have been found in the upper layers of sediments in the ocean floor . On the mainland, for example, living beings have been discovered in granite ( endoliths ).
The maximum temperature of 113 ° C at which thermophilic archaea can still live is reached at a depth of approx. 5 km in the oceanic crust and approx. 10 km in the continental earth crust . The absolute upper limit for life of any kind is likely to be around 150 ° C.
The scarcely existing growth is typical, whereby a large number of microorganisms found were no longer capable of dividing at a very great depth .
See also
Web links
- Deep biosphere - enigmatic world in the "basement of the earth"
- Results of a microbiological expedition to the coast of Peru
- R. Monastersky: Deep Dwellers - Microbes thrives far below ground
- scinexx.de: Cell wall components as indicators of microbes in crude oil from a depth of 2,000 meters August 12, 2008
- scinexx.de: Expedition discovers a surprisingly diverse environment kilometers deep in the gabbro November 23, 2010
- Wissenschaft.de: The secret life of the earth's crust microbes May 25, 2007
- Wissenschaft.de: Active Life in the Deep June 14, 2013
- Wissenschaft.de: Rich life in the underworld December 10, 2018
- Spektrum.de: More lives deep in the earth than in the sea December 10, 2018