There Is Something Hiding Inside Earth

Summary

This video explores the deep biosphere, a vast, extreme ecosystem hidden within Earth's crust. Microbes and organisms survive in extreme conditions—high pressure, intense heat, no light or oxygen—making this environment a hellish landscape. Despite the harshness, life thrives, with microbes displaying extraordinary adaptations like living for thousands of years or forming intricate consortia. This mysterious biosphere offers new frontiers in science and hints at possible life beyond Earth, possibly in other planetary deep biospheres. The video also discusses the potential of this knowledge for medicine, energy, and climate research.

Takeaways

• 🌍 A massive hidden ecosystem called the 'deep biosphere' exists inside Earth's crust, home to octillions of extreme organisms.
• 🌑 These organisms survive in extreme conditions like crushing pressure, high temperatures, and complete darkness, living for thousands or even millions of years.
• 🔬 The deep biosphere is at least twice the volume of all Earth's oceans and contains more microbes than the entire surface of the planet.
• 🌡️ As we drill deeper, the environment becomes more intense with rising temperatures and pressure, reaching 120°C at 4 kilometers deep.
• 🦠 Microbes in this environment survive by feeding on elements like carbon, sulfur, methane, and even hydrogen, forming intricate ecosystems.
• 💡 Some microbes form consortia, working together in biofilms to share tasks and survive harsh conditions.
• ⏳ Deep biosphere microbes live extremely slowly, conserving energy and possibly living for millions of years by reducing their metabolic rate.
• 🧬 Multicellular organisms like worms and arthropods have also been found in this deep, harsh environment, preying on microbes.
• 🔍 Despite the extreme environment, much remains unknown about life in the deep biosphere due to difficulties in accessing and studying it.
• 🌌 The discovery of the deep biosphere raises the possibility that similar ecosystems could exist on other planets or moons with internal heat or radiation.

Q & A

What is the deep biosphere and where is it located?

The deep biosphere is a vast, hidden ecosystem located inside the Earth's crust. It exists beneath the surface, below the oceans, near volcanoes, under glaciers, and under various landscapes, and is home to octillions of microbes.

How does life survive in the extreme conditions of the deep biosphere?

Life in the deep biosphere survives by adapting to extreme conditions such as high pressure, heat, lack of oxygen, and the presence of deadly chemicals. Microbes utilize available resources like sulfur, carbon, and hydrogen to produce energy and form biofilms that shield them from harsh environments.

What are some of the microbes found in the deep biosphere?

Some of the microbes include Desulforudis audaxviator, which synthesizes its own food from rock carbon or sulfur, and Altiarchaeum hamiconexum, which lives in water-filled cracks and uses carbon dioxide to create biomass.

How do deep biosphere microbes conserve energy and survive for long periods?

Microbes in the deep biosphere have extremely slow metabolisms, up to a million times slower than surface microbes. They consume minimal energy and may digest a single meal over centuries or even millions of years.

How do microbes in the deep biosphere collaborate for survival?

Microbes form consortia, living in biofilms where different species work together. For example, one microbe might convert methane into electrons, which another uses to process sulfates, while others contribute to nitrogen and carbon dioxide cycling.

What challenges do scientists face in studying the deep biosphere?

Studying the deep biosphere is challenging because of the difficulty in accessing it under kilometers of rock. Drilling can contaminate samples, and recreating the extreme conditions in a lab is difficult, making it hard to observe these microbes in their natural environment.

What potential does the deep biosphere hold for future discoveries?

The deep biosphere could reveal insights that advance medicine, energy, and climate science. Its unique life forms and survival mechanisms could also inform our understanding of life on other planets or moons.

What role does 'rock weather' play in the deep biosphere?

Rock weather refers to the constant movement of submerged mountain ranges and tectonic shifts that open up new fissures and spaces for life in the deep biosphere, allowing microbes to inhabit and thrive in previously inaccessible areas.

How does the deep biosphere relate to potential life beyond Earth?

The extreme conditions of the deep biosphere suggest that similar environments on other planets or moons, with internal heat or radiation, could also harbor life. Some scientists speculate there could be ten such deep biospheres in the solar system.

What extreme conditions do deep biosphere organisms endure?

Organisms in the deep biosphere endure conditions such as high temperatures (up to 120°C), intense pressure, lack of oxygen, and exposure to radiation, acidic chemicals, and high salt levels. Despite this, life thrives in these hostile environments.