Deep biosphere
Videos
The deep biosphere is the part of the biosphere that resides below the first few meters of the land surface and seafloor. It extends 10 km below the continental surface and 21 km below the sea surface
Environments in which subsurface life has been found
Photograph of the sunken Alvin taken in 1969
Schematic of an expedition aboard the Japanese drilling ship D/V Chikyū
Researcher sampling fluid from a deep mine
DSV Alvin
Videos
Alvin is a crewed deep-ocean research submersible owned by the United States Navy and operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution of Woods Hole, Massachusetts. The original vehicle was built
Deep biosphere
…increasing depth, aerobes gave way to anaerobes. Most biologists dismissed the subsurface microbes as contamination, especially after the submersible Alvin sank in 1968 and the scientists escaped, leaving their lunches behind. When Alvin was recovered, the lunches showed no sign of microbial decay. This…
Alvin in 1978, a year after first exploring hydrothermal vents. The rack hanging at the bow holds sample containers.
Emergency separation
General layout