Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
China
Home / China / Innovation

Earthquakes can provide 'fuel' for subterranean life: study

Xinhua | Updated: 2025-07-21 16:51
Share
Share - WeChat

GUANGZHOU -- Chinese researchers have found that the chemical energy instantaneously released by crustal activities like earthquakes can serve as an "alternative fuel" to sunlight for subterranean microorganisms.

This latest finding reveals an important energy source for deep-Earth ecosystems and also aids in the search for potential subterranean life on planets like Mars and Europa.

The study, led by researchers from the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, was recently published in the journal Science Advances.

In the dark depths beyond human sight, 95 percent of the Earth's prokaryotic organisms reside, accounting for about 19 percent of the total biomass on Earth. These life forms cannot obtain organic matter synthesized through photosynthesis, and how they obtain energy has long been a mystery in the scientific community, according to the researchers.

After conducting simulations of faulting activities several kilometers underground, the team discovered that when rocks fracture and create fresh surfaces, the newly broken chemical bonds come into immediate contact with water. This interaction generates a substantial amount of hydrogen and hydrogen peroxide. This leads to the oxidation and reduction cycles of iron, continuously releasing electrons in the process.

These electrons further flow between essential elements for life, such as carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen, forming an invisible "subterranean power grid" that provides readily available energy for microorganisms, said the team.

Based on the study, the researchers said that in future missions to detect extraterrestrial life, it is essential to pay special attention to searching for oxidized and reduced substances near fault zones, which could be crucial conditions for the existence of life.

Top
BACK TO THE TOP
English
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349
FOLLOW US
 
主站蜘蛛池模板: 岛国免费v片在线播放| 波多野结衣教师系列5| 国产精品嫩草影院人体模特| 中国黄色a级片| 最近免费观看高清韩国日本大全| 免费国产一级特黄久久| 韩国精品福利一区二区三区| 国产美女爽到喷出水来视频| 一级毛片免费在线观看网站| 日韩欧美黄色大片| 亚洲综合视频在线观看| 豪妇荡乳1一5白玉兰| 国产精品久久福利网站| a级毛片免费观看在线播放| 无码人妻精品一区二区| 亚洲一区二区三区国产精品无码 | 性欧美丰满熟妇XXXX性久久久| 久久精品国产精品亚洲艾草网| 欧美精品videosbestsexhd4k| 北美伦理电线在2019| 野花日本免费观看高清电影8| 国产精品va在线观看无码| 99热99在线| 少妇太爽了在线观看| 久久中文骚妇内射| 有人有看片的资源吗www在线观看| 亚洲精品乱码久久久久久蜜桃不卡| 精品国产人成亚洲区| 国产免费69成人精品视频| www.九色视频| 国色天香中文字幕视频 | 国产在线视频一区| 青青草原国产视频| 在线免费不卡视频| ww在线观视频免费观看| 打屁股xxxx| 久久亚洲高清观看| 日韩精品极品视频在线观看免费| 亚洲成电影在线观看青青| 爱情岛论坛亚洲永久入口口| 免费观看性生活大片|