Inner Earth Is Teeming With Exotic Forms of Life (Smithsonian.com)

Inner Earth Is Teeming With Exotic Forms of Life

More than a mile below the surface, our planet supports diverse creatures that could give us clues about life across the solar system

 

By Sandeep Ravindran

smithsonian.com
February 29, 2016

Ancient bacteria from nearly two miles below Earth's surface: that's what first drew Tullis Onstott to begin his search for life in the most unlikely of places. The geomicrobiologist had just attended a 1992 U.S. Department of Energy meeting about rocks estimated to be more than 200 million years old—older than most dinosaurs. These prehistoric rocks had been unearthed from a gas exploration well, and they turned out to be teeming with bacteria.

Read more at .... http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/inner-earth-teeming-exotic-forms-life-180958243/#E8bFL6yXrcSizIbc.99