Habitability of the marine serpentinite subsurface: a case study of the Lost City hydrothermal field
Habitability of the marine serpentinite subsurface: a case study of the Lost City hydrothermal field
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DOI：
10.1098/rsta.2018.0429
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发表时间：
2020-02-21
期刊：
影响因子：
5
通讯作者：
Brazelton, William J.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Lang, Susan Q.;Brazelton, William J.
迷城热液区是蛇纹石化的生物潜力的一个引人注目的例子。微生物在迷城的烟囱中普遍存在，由蛇纹石化及其相关的地球化学反应产生的氢气和有机分子提供动力。然而，在迷城烟囱下面的蛇纹岩地下的微生物生命不太可能如此密集或活跃。海相蛇纹岩地下对微生物活性构成了严重挑战，包括低孔隙率、高温、高pH值和缺乏生物可利用的n元二氧化碳总和等压力源的组合。更好地了解蛇纹化系统中的生物机遇和挑战，将有助于深入了解地壳的可居住总体积以及地球地下环境中生命起源和持久存在的潜力。此外，地球上蛇形地下环境中生命的局限性对木卫二和土卫二等海洋世界地下环境的可居住性具有重要意义。在这里，我们回顾了蛇形系统中生命的要求和限制，并通过我们在迷城及其所在的水下山脉亚特兰蒂斯地块的研究获得了信息。这篇文章是“地球系统中的蛇纹岩”讨论会的一部分。
The Lost City hydrothermal field is a dramatic example of the biological potential of serpentinization. Microbial life is prevalent throughout the Lost City chimneys, powered by the hydrogen gas and organic molecules produced by serpentinization and its associated geochemical reactions. Microbial life in the serpentinite subsurface below the Lost City chimneys, however, is unlikely to be as dense or active. The marine serpentinite subsurface poses serious challenges for microbial activity, including low porosities, the combination of stressors of elevated temperature, high pH and a lack of bioavailable n-ary sumation CO2. A better understanding of the biological opportunities and challenges in serpentinizing systems would provide important insights into the total habitable volume of Earth's crust and for the potential of the origin and persistence of life in Earth's subsurface environments. Furthermore, the limitations to life in serpentinizing subsurface environments on Earth have significant implications for the habitability of subsurface environments on ocean worlds such as Europa and Enceladus. Here, we review the requirements and limitations of life in serpentinizing systems, informed by our research at the Lost City and the underwater mountain on which it resides, the Atlantis Massif. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Serpentinite in the Earth System'.