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Scientists Find ‘Parallel Universe’ Of Life Inside The Basalt Of The Oceanic Crust
- Scientists took core samples from crust hidden beneath 2.5km of water and hundreds of metres of sediment
- They found evidence of micro-organisms living in the total absence of light and almost entirely disconnected from the world above
- New discoveries about how such creatures survive in the extreme environment could help inform search for life on other planets
By Damien Gayle
PUBLISHED:05:04 EST, 15 March 2013| UPDATED:06:29 EST, 15 March 2013
A parallel universe of life exists hidden beneath our planet’s ocean floors and could help us search for life on other planets, new research claims.
An international team of scientists found evidence of tiny creatures living inside the basalt of the Pacific Ocean floor – covered by 2.5km of water and hundreds of metres of sediment.
The results of their studies, published today in the journal Science, have revealed evidence of a vast ecosystem whose characteristics are entirely different from any previously investigated.
The thundering waves of the Pacific Ocean: Scientists have found evidence of an ecosystem 2.5km beneath the surface of the ocean, actually inside the basalt of the Earth’s crust
Core samples taken from the sea floor off the west coast of the U.S. contained traces of micro-organisms living in the total absence of light, and almost entirely disconnected from the world above.
‘We’re providing the first direct evidence of life in the deeply buried oceanic crust,’ said microbiologist Mark Lever, who worked on the study as a PhD student at North Carolina.
‘Our findings suggest that this spatially vast ecosystem is largely supported by chemosynthesis.’
