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Page designed and maintained by Hazel Mottram.Last modified 25/01/02 |
| Description of work - Why study the deep biosphere? - Key questions - Objectives - Samples - Consortium members research |
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Key questions about sub-surface bacterial populations |
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1. What is the total bacterial biomass in subseafloor sediments? 2. What is the activity of bacterial populations in the subsurface? 3. What is the diversity and physiology of bacterial populations in the subsurface? 4. What are the energy sources for subsurface bacteria, including compounds produced by deep thermogenic processes? 5. What is the contribution of bacterial biomass to buried organic matter and the impact of bacterial necromass on the products of thermal maturation? 6. What is the global distribution and depth extent of the sub-seafloor biosphere? |