Scientists find a huge underground ecosystem

We already know that planet Earth is full of environments inhabited by various forms of life. However, a group of scientists recently discovered that under the surface of the earth there are billions of microorganisms in development.

Keep reading and discover a secret and almost unknown world in the underground part of the Earth.

Scientists are looking at life on Earth

Recently, a meeting of the American Geophysical Union was held, during which researchers presented their discoveries to each other.

On this occasion, a research group presented its findings regarding the Earth’s interior. They claim that about 70% of all microbes on the planet live in this area.

Moreover, these microbes account for approximately 15 to 23 billion tons of carbon. This equates to a mass hundreds of times greater than the mass of all humans on the surface combined.

The subterranean ecosystem dominated by bacteria and archaea has been dubbed the “Galapagos Underground”. Discoveries and studies are still very recent.

Regarding these studies, Karen Lloyd, study author and associate professor of microbiology at the University of Tennessee, USA, comments:

“Ten years ago, we were shown only a few locations — the kinds of places we expected to find life. Now, thanks to ultra-deep samples, we know we can find it almost anywhere.”

To arrive at the current findings, the team collected dozens of previous studies that examined samples from drilling holes on the sea floor and continents.

The thing that really surprised scientists is the biosphere deep below the surface, which is almost twice the size of all of Earth’s oceans.

Even with all the adverse conditions, this variety of life can be discovered and likely to thrive. Moreover, this new ecosystem could answer many questions about the limits of life on Earth and perhaps even on other planets.

Rick Colwell, a microbial ecologist at Oregon State University, comments on this ecosystem:

“Our studies of microbes in the deep biosphere have yielded a lot of new knowledge, but also a much greater amount of knowledge and appreciation of how much we still have to learn about life underground.”

In short, everything about this secretive underground world remains a mystery, and over the course of studies, it is likely that a lot will be revealed.