研究显示：地震可为“地下生命”提供“燃料”

Core Insights - A recent study reveals that chemical energy released during geological activities like earthquakes can serve as an alternative energy source for underground microorganisms, highlighting a significant energy source for Earth's deep ecosystems and aiding in the search for potential "subsurface life" on planets like Mars and Europa [1][2] Group 1: Energy Mechanism - The research indicates that 95% of Earth's prokaryotic life, which constitutes about 19% of the planet's total biomass, resides in dark, inaccessible depths where they cannot utilize photosynthesis for energy [2] - The study utilized a "fracture-reaction" experimental platform to simulate geological activities, discovering that the breaking of rocks generates hydrogen and hydrogen peroxide, leading to oxidation-reduction cycles that release electrons [2] - This process creates an invisible "underground electrical network" that provides directly usable energy for microorganisms [2] Group 2: Implications for Astrobiology - The findings challenge the traditional notion that all life relies on solar energy, expanding the understanding of life's fundamental energy sources and the causes of ecological diversity in deep subsurface environments [2] - The energy mechanism identified may also occur in ancient fault lines on Mars or cracks in Europa's ice shell, potentially providing a long-term "battery" for subsurface life [2] - Future extraterrestrial life detection missions should focus on searching for oxidized and reduced materials near fault zones, as these may be critical conditions for the existence of life [3]