Microbial Life Discovered 2.4 Kilometers Down
Researchers have uncovered the first direct evidence of resident microbes in Kidd Creek Mine, a 3-kilometer-deep copper and zinc mine in Ontario. The findings, published last month (July 18) in Geomicrobiology Journal, confirm previous work indicating that ancient, sulfate-rich water in the region could support what researchers call deep microbial life, and add to growing evidence that there's a vast biosphere thriving in the Earth's crust that has little or no interaction with the surface.