Deep Life: The Hunt for the Hidden Biology of Earth, Mars, and Beyond
The thrilling quest for subsurface life on Earth and other planets

Deep Life takes readers to uncharted regions deep beneath Earth's crust in search of life in extreme environments and reveals how astonishing new discoveries by geomicrobiologists are helping the quest to find life in the solar system.

Tullis Onstott, named one of the 100 most influential people in America by Time magazine, provides an insider’s look at the pioneering fieldwork that is shining vital new light on Earth’s hidden biology—a thriving subterranean biosphere that scientists once thought to be impossible. Come along on epic descents two miles underground into South African gold mines to experience the challenges that Onstott and his team had to overcome. Join them in their search for microbes in the ancient seabed below the desert floor in the American Southwest, and travel deep beneath the frozen wastelands of the Arctic tundra to discover life as it could exist on Mars.

Blending cutting-edge science with thrilling scientific adventure, Deep Life features rare and unusual encounters with exotic life forms, including a bacterium living off radiation and a hermaphroditic troglodytic worm that has changed our understanding of how complex subsurface life can really be. This unforgettable book takes you to the absolute limits of life—the biotic fringe—where today’s scientists hope to discover the very origins of life itself.

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Deep Life: The Hunt for the Hidden Biology of Earth, Mars, and Beyond
The thrilling quest for subsurface life on Earth and other planets

Deep Life takes readers to uncharted regions deep beneath Earth's crust in search of life in extreme environments and reveals how astonishing new discoveries by geomicrobiologists are helping the quest to find life in the solar system.

Tullis Onstott, named one of the 100 most influential people in America by Time magazine, provides an insider’s look at the pioneering fieldwork that is shining vital new light on Earth’s hidden biology—a thriving subterranean biosphere that scientists once thought to be impossible. Come along on epic descents two miles underground into South African gold mines to experience the challenges that Onstott and his team had to overcome. Join them in their search for microbes in the ancient seabed below the desert floor in the American Southwest, and travel deep beneath the frozen wastelands of the Arctic tundra to discover life as it could exist on Mars.

Blending cutting-edge science with thrilling scientific adventure, Deep Life features rare and unusual encounters with exotic life forms, including a bacterium living off radiation and a hermaphroditic troglodytic worm that has changed our understanding of how complex subsurface life can really be. This unforgettable book takes you to the absolute limits of life—the biotic fringe—where today’s scientists hope to discover the very origins of life itself.

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Deep Life: The Hunt for the Hidden Biology of Earth, Mars, and Beyond

Deep Life: The Hunt for the Hidden Biology of Earth, Mars, and Beyond

by Tullis C. Onstott
Deep Life: The Hunt for the Hidden Biology of Earth, Mars, and Beyond

Deep Life: The Hunt for the Hidden Biology of Earth, Mars, and Beyond

by Tullis C. Onstott

Hardcover

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Overview

The thrilling quest for subsurface life on Earth and other planets

Deep Life takes readers to uncharted regions deep beneath Earth's crust in search of life in extreme environments and reveals how astonishing new discoveries by geomicrobiologists are helping the quest to find life in the solar system.

Tullis Onstott, named one of the 100 most influential people in America by Time magazine, provides an insider’s look at the pioneering fieldwork that is shining vital new light on Earth’s hidden biology—a thriving subterranean biosphere that scientists once thought to be impossible. Come along on epic descents two miles underground into South African gold mines to experience the challenges that Onstott and his team had to overcome. Join them in their search for microbes in the ancient seabed below the desert floor in the American Southwest, and travel deep beneath the frozen wastelands of the Arctic tundra to discover life as it could exist on Mars.

Blending cutting-edge science with thrilling scientific adventure, Deep Life features rare and unusual encounters with exotic life forms, including a bacterium living off radiation and a hermaphroditic troglodytic worm that has changed our understanding of how complex subsurface life can really be. This unforgettable book takes you to the absolute limits of life—the biotic fringe—where today’s scientists hope to discover the very origins of life itself.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780691096445
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Publication date: 11/08/2016
Pages: 512
Product dimensions: 6.20(w) x 9.40(h) x 1.60(d)

About the Author

Tullis C. Onstott is professor of geosciences at Princeton University. He lives in Stockton, New Jersey.

Table of Contents

FOREWORD ix

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xiii

ABBREVIATIONS xv

INTRODUCTION 1

1 Triassic Park 12

2 The Treasure of Cerro Negro 56

3 Bikers, Bombs, and the Death-o-Meter 103

4 Microbes in Meteorites! 126

5 Life in Deepest, Darkest Africa 143

6 Hunting for Water and Carbon 172

7 The Subterranauts 198

8 A Lot of Breaks and One Lucky Strike 234

9 Life beneath the Ice 265

10 The Worm from Hell 333

EPILOGUE 357

APPENDIX A: Chronology of the Exploration of Subsurface Life 365

APPENDIX B: Chronology of the Meeting of the U.S. DOE’s

SSP Meetings 377

NOTES 381

REFERENCES 463

INDEX 473

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Tullis Onstott has been at the forefront of the exploration of [Earth's] subterranean mysteries. . . . A microbiologist Indiana Jones, clambering through dimly lit mining tunnels far below the surface, sampling tubes in hand. . . . Along the way, he addresses some of the deepest questions—if you'll excuse the pun—in modern biology."—Lewis Dartnell, Times Higher Education

"[Onstott] so beautifully conveys his excitement . . . a worthwhile read."Publishers Weekly

"[An] amazing journey."Cosmos

"The discovery of deep biosphere is a fascinating chapter in the history of astrobiology, and Onstott was at the bottom of it all—literally, when he and his team were searching for life in the deepest mines on Earth. This detailed and well-written book explains the importance of the subsurface biosphere and why those of us interested in the search for life on Mars are so interested in life deep underground."—Chris McKay, NASA Ames Research Center

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