Physical and chemical controls on habitats for life in the deep subsurface beneath continents and ice
The distribution of life in the continental subsurface is likely controlled by a range of physical and chemical factors. The fundamental requirements are for space to live, carbon for biomass and energy for metabolic activity. These are inter-related, such that adequate permeability is required to m...
Published in: | Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , |
Other Authors: | , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
The Royal Society
2016
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2014.0293 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsta.2014.0293 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rsta.2014.0293 |
id |
crroyalsociety:10.1098/rsta.2014.0293 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
crroyalsociety:10.1098/rsta.2014.0293 2024-06-02T08:08:18+00:00 Physical and chemical controls on habitats for life in the deep subsurface beneath continents and ice Parnell, John McMahon, Sean STFC Aurora studentship NASA Astrobiology Institute Program NERC 2016 http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2014.0293 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsta.2014.0293 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rsta.2014.0293 en eng The Royal Society https://royalsociety.org/journals/ethics-policies/data-sharing-mining/ Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences volume 374, issue 2059, page 20140293 ISSN 1364-503X 1471-2962 journal-article 2016 crroyalsociety https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2014.0293 2024-05-07T14:16:56Z The distribution of life in the continental subsurface is likely controlled by a range of physical and chemical factors. The fundamental requirements are for space to live, carbon for biomass and energy for metabolic activity. These are inter-related, such that adequate permeability is required to maintain a supply of nutrients, and facies interfaces invite colonization by juxtaposing porous habitats with nutrient-rich mudrocks. Viable communities extend to several kilometres depth, diminishing downwards with decreasing porosity. Carbon is contributed by recycling of organic matter originally fixed by photosynthesis, and chemoautotrophy using crustal carbon dioxide and methane. In the shallow crust, the recycled component predominates, as processed kerogen or hydrocarbons, but abiotic carbon sources may be significant in deeper, metamorphosed crust. Hydrogen to fuel chemosynthesis is available from radiolysis, mechanical deformation and mineral alteration. Activity in the subcontinental deep biosphere can be traced through the geological record back to the Precambrian. Before the colonization of the Earth's surface by land plants, a geologically recent event, subsurface life probably dominated the planet's biomass. In regions of thick ice sheets the base of the ice sheet, where liquid water is stable and a sediment layer is created by glacial erosion, can be regarded as a deep biosphere habitat. This environment may be rich in dissolved organic carbon and nutrients accumulated from dissolving ice, and from weathering of the bedrock and the sediment layer. Article in Journal/Newspaper Ice Sheet The Royal Society Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences 374 2059 20140293 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
The Royal Society |
op_collection_id |
crroyalsociety |
language |
English |
description |
The distribution of life in the continental subsurface is likely controlled by a range of physical and chemical factors. The fundamental requirements are for space to live, carbon for biomass and energy for metabolic activity. These are inter-related, such that adequate permeability is required to maintain a supply of nutrients, and facies interfaces invite colonization by juxtaposing porous habitats with nutrient-rich mudrocks. Viable communities extend to several kilometres depth, diminishing downwards with decreasing porosity. Carbon is contributed by recycling of organic matter originally fixed by photosynthesis, and chemoautotrophy using crustal carbon dioxide and methane. In the shallow crust, the recycled component predominates, as processed kerogen or hydrocarbons, but abiotic carbon sources may be significant in deeper, metamorphosed crust. Hydrogen to fuel chemosynthesis is available from radiolysis, mechanical deformation and mineral alteration. Activity in the subcontinental deep biosphere can be traced through the geological record back to the Precambrian. Before the colonization of the Earth's surface by land plants, a geologically recent event, subsurface life probably dominated the planet's biomass. In regions of thick ice sheets the base of the ice sheet, where liquid water is stable and a sediment layer is created by glacial erosion, can be regarded as a deep biosphere habitat. This environment may be rich in dissolved organic carbon and nutrients accumulated from dissolving ice, and from weathering of the bedrock and the sediment layer. |
author2 |
STFC Aurora studentship NASA Astrobiology Institute Program NERC |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Parnell, John McMahon, Sean |
spellingShingle |
Parnell, John McMahon, Sean Physical and chemical controls on habitats for life in the deep subsurface beneath continents and ice |
author_facet |
Parnell, John McMahon, Sean |
author_sort |
Parnell, John |
title |
Physical and chemical controls on habitats for life in the deep subsurface beneath continents and ice |
title_short |
Physical and chemical controls on habitats for life in the deep subsurface beneath continents and ice |
title_full |
Physical and chemical controls on habitats for life in the deep subsurface beneath continents and ice |
title_fullStr |
Physical and chemical controls on habitats for life in the deep subsurface beneath continents and ice |
title_full_unstemmed |
Physical and chemical controls on habitats for life in the deep subsurface beneath continents and ice |
title_sort |
physical and chemical controls on habitats for life in the deep subsurface beneath continents and ice |
publisher |
The Royal Society |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2014.0293 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsta.2014.0293 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full-xml/10.1098/rsta.2014.0293 |
genre |
Ice Sheet |
genre_facet |
Ice Sheet |
op_source |
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences volume 374, issue 2059, page 20140293 ISSN 1364-503X 1471-2962 |
op_rights |
https://royalsociety.org/journals/ethics-policies/data-sharing-mining/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2014.0293 |
container_title |
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences |
container_volume |
374 |
container_issue |
2059 |
container_start_page |
20140293 |
_version_ |
1800753520361603072 |