Subseafloor Microbial Communities Survive on Products of Radioactive Process, Study Suggests

Radionuclides are ubiquitous in sediment & rock, where their decay leads to the production of hydrogen & oxidized chemicals via radiolysis of water.

These provide the dominant fuel for microbial activity in marine sediment older than a few million years.

#microbiology #environment

http://www.sci-news.com/biology/subseafloor-microbial-communities-water-radiolysis-09410.html