Synonyms
Definition
The science of deep subsurface microbiology involves the study of non-phototrophic microorganisms, ecosystems, and biogeochemical fluxes and cycles that occur beneath the soil zones, active layers, and lake beds of continents and the seafloor. Deep subsurface ecosystems are distinct from those that inhabit most surface soils or deep ocean environments in that they are primarily hypoxic to anoxic; the estimated microbial cell turnover times are on the order of decades to centuries (Phelps et al. 1994) and the principal energy sources originate from the geosphere (Parkes et al. 2007). Like surface ecosystems, the subsurface biosphere appears to control groundwater chemistry, mineral diagenesis, and organic degradation.
Overview
In June 1986, at the Savannah River Plant (SRP), South Carolina, the modern era of subsurface microbiology was launched with a few hundred thousand dollars from a US Dept. of Energy (DOE), environmental monitoring program,...
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References and Further Reading
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© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Onstott, T.C. (2014). Deep Subsurface Microbiology. In: Amils, R., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_573-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_573-3
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Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
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