The deep subsurface biosphere in igneous ocean crust: frontier habitats for microbiological exploration
We discuss ridge flank environments in the ocean crust as habitats for subseafloor microbial life. Oceanic ridge flanks, areas far from the magmatic and tectonic influence of seafloor spreading, comprise one of the largest and least explored microbial habitats on the planet. We describe the nature o...
Main Authors: | , , |
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2012-02-01
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Series: | Frontiers in Microbiology |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fmicb.2012.00008/full |