Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory Geo-microbiology at the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory; an example of deep subsurface multidisciplinary research Presented by: Tommy J. Phelps Contents drawn extensively from

1
Deep Underground Science and Engineering
Laboratory Geo-microbiology at the Deep
Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory
an example of deep subsurface multidisciplinary
research Presented byTommy J.
PhelpsContents drawn extensively from
collaborators and co-authors at gt100 institutions
2
Experiments Concurrent with Construction

• Characterization
• Corehole biogeochemistry
• Groundwater biogeochemistry
• Scale effects on biogeochemistry
• Scale effects on heterogeneity
• Effects of stress, temperature, gas and fluid
  flow
• Complex coupled processes
• Deep biosphere
• Carbon and energy fluxes
• Others

3
(No Transcript)
4
In the1980s deep subsurface research used truck
mounted rigs, 1990s saw dedicated
rigs Investigations typically focus on
piggy-backed opportunities often
industry-government collaborations, NSF (LExEn
and Microbial Observatories) IODP, NASA, DOE
5
Despite poor access or control the Bio-Geo
community has successes
Old water accessed at depths 1-3 km,
temperature gt 55C, pH gt 9, at gt 10,000 L/hr
Glimpse of ancient
life and energy sources? Plus successful
NSF-NRF REU program for disadvantaged US and SA
students
6
What have we learned? All Observations are
consistent with the laws of physics

• Extended known biosphere to 3 km
• Revealed biomass, biodiversity, unusual traits
  microbes
• Linked microbial activity with geological
  interfaces
• Slow rates of deep subsurface microbial activity
• Indications of autotrophic ecosystems
• Insights into evolution and ecological genomics
• Energy does not appear to be limiting the deep
  subsurface
• Deep subsurface biosphere not linked to the
  surface (?)
• Deep anaerobic communities fueled by subsurface
  abiotic energy sources (?)(Likely)

7
What have we learned? Novel indigenous microbes
and communities Novel and unusual deeply branched
sequences may be
indicative of ancestral linkages,
(early life?), Novel products for biomed and
biotech applications
Novel Bacterial lineages unique to the SA
deep-subsurface South Africa Subsurface
Firmicutes Groups (SASFiG)
SASFiG-6

SASFiG-5
SASFiG-4
SASFiG-7
SASFiG-3
SASFiG-9

SASFiG-8
SASFiG-1
SASFiG-9 (isolated) Detected within a
water-bearing dyke/fracture at 3.2 Km
depth. strictly anaerobic iron-reducer optimal
growth temperature 60 oC virgin rock temp
45 oC
SASFiG-2
8
What kind of experiments would we like to do?

• Limits of life
• Deep biosphere biogeochemistry
• Survival/tolerance/adaptation
• Evolutionary gradients, eco-genomics, and
  primitive life
• Fluid, energy, and organismal transport
• Impact of geological formations on
  life/preservation
• Test for an absence of life
• Impacts of human intervention on subsurface
  ecology
• Geo/bio/chemistry of fabricated petroleum
  reservoirs
• Carbon management/sequestration in geologic
  deposits
• Role of faults on regional fluid (energy)
  migration
• Ore and vein forming/disassociation processes
• Engineering, imaging, robotic, and in-situ mining
  sciences
• Others

9
How DUSEL Fits Scientific Needs? Special
attributes of DUSEL?
1. Dedicated long-term well characterized (3-D)
site with controlled access and appropriate
infrastructure 2. Isolation from surface
environment with highly varied lithologies,
structure, geochemical, flow, thermal and stress
regimes 3. nm-km scale. Appropriate for nm
scale investigations of electron transfer
reactions at interfaces to cubic km scale
reservoir experiments
Time, t
Spatial scale, x,y,z
Depth, z -gt Ds DT
10
Scientific Case for DUSEL Dedicated, Isolation
and Scale Examine processes from the nm to km
scales
Pre-test TCE Plume
Electron diffraction of magnetic particles
Core with fractures
Fractures
Core
103 m
10-6 m
10-9 m
10-3 m
100 m
Bacteria
Microbial formation of magnetite
Post-test TCE Plume
11
Fundamental scientific questions

• Limits of life in the biosphere?
• Functioning of deep Earth ecosystems?
• Research questions
• Limits of life with regards to depth, heat,
  pressure, energy?
• What are the sources of carbon and energy ?
• Abiogenic energy sources independent of
  terrestrial ecosystems?
• Adaptations of subsurface microbes for extreme
  environments?
• Rates of evolution in sequestered subsurface
  environments?
• Microbial influences on mineral dissolution and
  precipitation?
• Long term effects of human activities in the deep
  subsurface?

12
Major Questions Concerning Microbial Biology and
Evolution?
How long have microbes have been separated from
surface ecosystems? And can evolutionary rates be
quantified? Do they exhibit genomic signatures
characteristic of small population size? Do
subsurface microbes show much greater/smaller
processes of genome evolution? Are genomes
reduced in size and streamlined relative to their
surface counterparts? Do the remaining genes
evolve faster or more slowly than surface
counterparts? What role do phage, lateral gene
transfer and other mechanisms play in
evolution? How has genome content evolved in the
absence of host and higher cell densities? How
have they adapted to different stress regimes
since UV is nonexistent while energy, nutrient,
radiation, dehydration are continuous? How can
macromolecules (eg. nucleic acid and proteins)
remain stable over time? Relationship to other
planetary bodies?
Drilling for subsurface life on Mars?
13
Key Experiments Culture-Independent Evidence for
Deep Life

• Genomic advancements
• Sequencing of a microbe required 18 months in
  mid 90s
• Currently gt150 microbes have been sequenced
• In 2004 TIGR discovers 1.2 million new
  bacteria/archea genes in the Sargasso Sea
• By 2005 JGI could sequence 400 microbes per year

Drilling for subsurface life on Mars?
Could early life in the subsurface have
survived the Hadean bombardment?
14
Purpose-Built Experiments

• Engineering equivalent of scientific
  observatories
• Deep Biosphere/Deep Energy
• Adaptation, Survival, Colonization
• Bio-Geo-Hydro-Chem Characterization
• Scale effects on Coupled processes
• Reservoir experiments
• Mineral formation and mining
• Vein formation and mineral transport
• Geophysical, Seismic and remote robotic
  characterization
• Induced fracture processes
• Deep flow and paleoclimate laboratory
• Education and outreach Laboratory
• Others.

Large Block Tests
Confirm predictions and corroborate models by
detailed characterization and or exhumation
15
Summary

• Biogeoscientists from gt 100 institutions are
  poised for DUSEL
• DUSEL represents an exciting opportunity for
  collaborative interdisciplinary examination of
  deep biosphere, evolution and genomics,
  ecogenomics of human impacts, hydrologic and
  fluid cycling, deep flux of energy, water/rock
  interactions, etc.
• DUSEL is unique Dedicated, controlled access,
  isolated environment, multiple scales, many
  disciplines, education and outreach, and HERE!
• Appropriate tools have recently been developed
  for sample retrieval and interrogation,
  evolutionary genomics, detailed 3-D geophysics,
  and examination of coupled Bio-Geo-Hydro-Chemo-pro
  cesses
• Biogeoscientists have prepared for two decades
  ground truthing hypotheses and procedures for
  this grand opportunity
• We look forward to DUSEL and its
  collaborations

16
(No Transcript)
17

• Energy does not appear to be limiting the
  deep subsurface
• Deep subsurface biosphere not linked to the
  terrestrial subsurface
• Deep anaerobic communities fueled by
  subsurface energy sources

What have we learned?
18
Key Experiments Culture-Independent Analyses for
Deep Life

• Extract DNA
• Amplify genes using PCR
• Clone genes into E. coli
• Screen clones
• Sequence unique clones
• Compare sequences to databases
• Construct phylogenetic trees

Drilling for subsurface life on Mars?
Could early life in the subsurface have
survived the Hadean bombardment?
19
What kind of experiments would we like to do?

• Deep biosphere and biogeochemistry
• Limits of life and survival/tolerance/adaptation
• Evolutionary gradients, eco-genomics, and
  primitive life
• Fluid, energy, and organismal transport
• Impact of geological formations on
  life/preservation
• Test for an absence of life
• Impacts of human intervention on subsurface
  ecology
• Relationships to energy generation and carbon
  sequestration
• Study ore and vein forming/mining processes
• Geophysical/chemical study of a fabricated
  petroleum reservoir
• Carbon management in geological/hydrological
  repositories
• Role of faults on regional fluid migration
• Imaging and robotic mining techniques
• Others

20
Scientific Case for DUSEL

• Overriding Themes Access, Isolation and Scale
• Complex Coupled Processes (therm-chem-geo-hydro-bi
  o-)
• Microbial Life at Depth and Deep Biosphere
  (Essence of life)
• Hydrologic Cycling, Deep Energy Flow
• Fractures (induced), Water/Rock Chemical
  Interactions
• Deep Seismic and Geophysical Examinations
• Deep Transport of Solids, Gases, Liquids and
  Organisms
• Multiple Cubic Km Perturbation Experiments
• Fundamental Science and Engineering Innovations
• Education, Training, and Public Outreach

21
Example Deep Coupled Processes Laboratory

• Characterize coupled-processes that affect
  critical scales of environmental
  Bio-Geo-Hydro-Chem- and Engineering-Sciences,
  including

• Gas, liquid, solid and bio-transport
• Energy resource recovery
• CO2 sequestration
• Conservative tracer and geophysics
• Heterogeneity (Chem-bio-geo-)
• Waste isolation
• In situ mining
• Mineralization and ore body formation
• Others
• Characterize coupled processes under ambient
• and manipulated conditions
• Chemical fate and transport including
• dissolution/precipitation and modification of
• mechanical and transport parameters
• Multiphase flow and transport
• Microbial colonization, adaptation, survival
• Evolutionary gradients/eco-genomics

22
What Questions Remain Unresolved? (with comments
from Derek Elsworth)

• Attributes of different geo-environments
• One site versus multiple sites for DUSEL
  activities?
• Define incompatibilities
• Integrate site-characterization with project
• Coordination of activities
• Decades out?
• DUSEL as a launch pad for new science, new
  understandings and new widgets

23
Unresolved Issues, ContdDefine and Disengage
Incompatibilities

• Explosions impacts of blast mechanics?
• Radioactive minerals, or added isotopes?
• Time and space separation of large scale
  experiments?
• Appropriate care and QA/QC during site
  characterization
• Longterm recording and accessing of results
• Longterm organizational structure
• Identify Other constraints

24
Integrated site-characterization with DUSEL
Science Plan

• Maximize info and minimize compromising future
  RD
• Coreholes and boreholes should be positioned and
  developed with appropriate QA/QC for
  Bio-Geo-Chemo-Hydo-characterization
• Integrated records and data access for future
  planning
• Boreholes coordinated for Geo-Bio-Chemo and
  geophysics
• Boreholes coordinated for segregated packered
  screened zones
• Integrated and redundant community participation
  for max science

25
What Will be Done in 20 years?(Best comments
were liberated from Derek Elsworth)

• Heavier than air flying machines are
  impossible.. Lord Kelvin, President,
  Royal Society, 1890-95.
• Digital characterization for Earth processes
  (Faster, more reliable, cheaper, better)
• Transparent prediction of processes, scaling and
  heterogeneities
• (Faster, more reliable, less expensive, more
  accurate)
• Predicting performance of engineered structures
  in space and time
• Understanding the essence of life, its origin,
  evolution and potential
• Future generation scientists with their superior
  ideas
• Somewhat more predictable
• Genetic materials, microorganisms with novel
  capabilities, biotech applications
• Instrumentation for monitoring/mapping
  (subsurface MEMS/NEMS imaging/sensors),
• Applications in exobiology underground mine
  mapping (robotics, lasers)
• Environmental remediation technologies
  (contaminated groundwater)
• CO2 sequestration field testing (leakage, impact)

26
(No Transcript)
27
How DUSEL Fits Scientific Needs? Whats special
about DUSEL?
Principal Attributes 1. Long-term well
characterized (3-D) dedicated site with
controlled access and appropriate
infrastructure 2. Isolation from surface
environment with highly varied lithologies,
structure, geochemical, flow, thermal and stress
regimes 3. Appropriate for nm scale
investigations of electron transfer reactions at
interfaces to multiple independent (manipulated)
reservoir scale experiments of cubic kms
Time, t
Spatial scale, x,y,z
Depth, z -gt Ds DT
28
Road Map for Presentation(similar to the talk by
Derek Elsworth on Geo-Engineering)

• Background and Introduction
• What kind of experiments have been done?
• What have we learned?
• What is planned in near future?
• What kind of experiments would we like to do?
• Current Case for DUSEL
• How DUSEL Can Fit These Needs
• What is special about DUSEL?
• What kind of experiments could be done?
• What Questions Remain Unresolved? .For working
  groups?
• Basic Technical Requirements for DUSEL Modules?
• What Could be Done in 20 years?

29
(No Transcript)
30
In the1980s deep subsurface research used truck
mounted rigs DOE, USGS, EPA Investigations
typically focus on piggy-backed opportunities
often industry-government collaborations, NSF
(LExEn and Microbial Observatories) IODP, NASA,
(DOE?)
31
Recent Deep Subsurface Investigations Witwatersran
d Basin, South Africa

• NSF and NASA funded Highly successful
  collaborations with University of the Free State
  (UFS)
• US-S.A. seven week workshop for disadvantaged
  undergraduates
• Problematic Issues Access, Safety,
  Infrastructure, Site or Sample Control, Supply
  Lines, Export Controls, Customs, Biodiversity
  Regulations, Liability, Cost, Poor
  Gov-Ind.-Institutional Commitment, Distant
  Location

32
Recent Deep Subsurface Investigations Witwatersran
d Basin, South Africa
33
Despite challenges the Bio-Geo community has been
highly successful

• Old water accessed at depths 1-3 km, temperature
  gt 55C,
• pH gt 9, gushing at gt 10,000 L/hr
• Glimpse of ancient life and energy sources

34
What have we learned? Advancements in Subsurface
Microbiology

• Drilling, tracer and QA/QC methodologies
  developed
• Extended known biosphere to 3 km
• Revealed biomass, biodiversity, unusual traits
  microbes
• Linked microbial activity with geological
  interfaces
• Slow rates of deep subsurface microbial activity
• Indications of autotrophic ecosystems
• Insights into evolution and ecological genomics
• Energy does not appear to be limiting the deep
  subsurface
• Deep subsurface biosphere not linked to the
  terrestrial subsurface (?)
• Deep anaerobic communities fueled by
  subsurface energy sources (?)

35

• What have we learned?
• All observations are consistent with the laws of
  physics
• Transformations mechanisms includeThermogenic,
  geochemical, biological, and biogeochemical

Subsurface populations are diverse, active,
unusual, possess novel traits, represent an
exploitable resource, and are a significant
fraction of planetary biomass
36

• What have we learned?
• Subsurface biomass was considered insignificant
  but is now recognized as a major fraction of
  planetary biomass ( likely greater than surface
  biomass?)
• Subsurface microbial populations are diverse,
  active, unusual, possess novel traits, represent
  an exploitable resource

37

What have we learned?
38
What have we learned? Novel indigenous microbes
and communities Novel and unusual deeply branched
sequences may be
indicative of ancestral linkages,
(early life?), Novel products for biomed and
biotech applications
Novel Bacterial lineages unique to the SA
deep-subsurface South Africa Subsurface
Firmicutes Groups (SASFiG)
SASFiG-6

SASFiG-5
SASFiG-4
SASFiG-7
SASFiG-3
SASFiG-9

SASFiG-8
SASFiG-1
SASFiG-9 (isolated) Detected within a
water-bearing dyke/fracture at 3.2 Km
depth. strictly anaerobic iron-reducer optimal
growth temperature 60 oC virgin rock temp
45 oC
SASFiG-2
39
Near Future One Example of Planned Deep
Subsurface Activities
Ore Zone
T -3 C
250 m
Oxic
Base of permafrost
450 m
T 0 C
50oC cooler than S. Africa
Anoxic
( gas hydrates)
890 m
1130 m
T 10 C

• Old water, saline, deep
• Close proximity, controlled access,
  infrastructure, safer

40
What have we learned? Advancements in
Subsurface Microbiology

• Drilling, tracer and QA/QC methodologies
  developed
• Extended known biosphere to 3 km
• Revealed biomass, biodiversity, unusual traits
  microbes
• Linked microbial activity with geological
  interfaces
• Slow rates of deep subsurface microbial activity
• Indications of autotrophic ecosystems
• Insights into evolution and ecological genomics

41
What kind of experiments would we like to do?

• Deep biosphere and biogeochemistry
• Limits of life and survival/tolerance/adaptation
• Evolutionary gradients, eco-genomics, and
  primitive life
• Fluid, energy, and organismal transport
• Impact of geological formations on
  life/preservation
• Test for an absence of life
• Impacts of human intervention on subsurface
  ecology
• Relationships to energy generation and carbon
  sequestration
• Study ore and vein forming/disassociation and
  mining processes
• Geo/bio/chemical study of a fabricated petroleum
  reservoir
• Carbon management in geological/hydrological
  repositories
• Role of faults on regional fluid (energy)
  migration
• Engineering, imaging, robotic, and in-situ mining
  sciences
• Others

42
Scientific Case for DUSEL

• Overriding Themes Access, Isolation and Scale
• Dedicated Site for Quality Cores and Ground
  Waters
• Complex Coupled Processes (therm-chem-geo-hydro-bi
  o-)
• Microbial Life at Depth and Deep Biosphere
  (Essence of life)
• U.S. Source for Biodiversity/Technology Transfer
• Hydrologic Cycling, Deep Energy Flow
• Fractures (induced), Water/Rock/Bio-Chemical
  Interactions
• Deep Seismic and Geophysical Examinations
• Deep Transport of Solids, Gases, Liquids and
  Organisms
• Multiple Cubic Km Perturbation Experiments
• Fundamental Science and Engineering Innovations
• Education, Mentoring, and Public Outreach

43
Scientific Case for DUSEL Controlled Access,
Long term environmental isolation, Scales of
investigation spanning cubic microns cubic
kilometers

• Drive
• Drill
• Shaft

44
Scientific Case for DUSEL Scale Multidisciplinar
y examination of biogeochemical processes from nm
to km scales
Pre-test TCE Plume
Electron diffraction of magnetic particles
Core with fractures
Fractures
Core
103 m
10-6 m
10-9 m
10-3 m
100 m
Bacteria
Microbial formation of magnetite
Post-test TCE Plume
45
Experiments Concurrent with Construction

• Characterization
• Corehole biogeochemistry
• Groundwater biogeochemistry
• Effects of formational changes
• Scale effects on biogeochemistry
• Scale effects on heterogeneity
• Effects of stress, temperature, gas and fluid
  flow
• Complex coupled processes
• Deep biosphere
• Carbon and energy fluxes
• Others

46
Purpose-Built Experiments

• Scientific Observatories
• Deep Biosphere/Deep Energy
• Adaptation, Survival, Colonization
• Bio-Geo-Hydro-Chem Characterization
• Scale effects on Coupled processes
• Reservoir experiments
• Mineral formation/dissolution
• Vein formation and mineral transport
• Biomining and engineering
• Geophysical, seismic and remote robotic
  characterization
• Induced fracture processes
• Deep flow and paleoclimate laboratory
• Education and outreach laboratory
• Others.

Large Block Tests
Confirm predictions and corroborate models by
detailed characterization and or exhumation
47
Example Deep Coupled Processes Laboratory

• Characterize coupled-processes that affect
  critical scales of environmental
  Bio-Geo-Hydro-Chem- and Engineering-Sciences,
  including

• Gas, liquid, solid and bio-transport
• Energy resource recovery
• CO2 sequestration
• Conservative tracer and geophysics
• Heterogeneity (Chem-bio-geo-)
• Waste isolation
• In situ mining
• Mineralization and ore body formation
• Others
• Characterize coupled processes under ambient
• and manipulated conditions
• Chemical fate and transport including
• dissolution/precipitation and modification of
• mechanical and transport parameters
• Multiphase flow and transport
• Microbial colonization, adaptation, survival
• Evolutionary gradients/eco-genomics

48
What Questions Remain Unresolved? (with comments
from Derek Elsworth)

• Attributes of different geo-environments
• One site versus multiple sites for DUSEL
  activities?
• Define incompatibilities
• Integrate site-characterization with project
• Coordination of activities
• Decades out?
• DUSEL as a launch pad for new science, new
  understandings and new widgets

49
Unresolved Issues, ContdAttributes of
Different Geo-Environments(High Heterogeneity
Enhances Scientific Value)
Sci/Eng Focus Relevant Range of Attributes
Overall/Geo/Eng Low-high stress Low-high thermal gradient Small-large site volume Homogeneous-heterogeneous Unfractured-fractured
Geo-biological Sterile-teeming Low-high nutrient and water flux
Geo-chemical Reactive-inert Low-high electrochemical flux
Geo-hydrological Permeable-porous to non-porous/fractured
Geo-mechanical Brittle-ductile Low-high stress
Geo-physical Aseismic-Seismic
50
Basic Technical RequirementsIntegrated
site-characterization with DUSEL Science Plan
(Maximize info and minimize compromising future
RD)

• Longterm, dedicated, deep, isolated with
  infrastructure
• Coreholes and boreholes should be positioned and
  developed with appropriate QA/QC for
  Bio-Geo-Chemo-Hydro-characterization
• Access to several cubic km-sized pristine test
  cells
• Access to old subsurface media and ancient waters
• Integrated records and data access for future
  planning
• Boreholes coordinated for Geo-Bio-Chemo and
  geophysics
• Boreholes coordinated for segregated packered
  screened zones
• Integrated and redundant community participation
  for max science

51
What Will be Done in 20 years?(Best comments
were liberated from Derek Elsworth)

• Heavier than air flying machines are
  impossible.. Lord Kelvin, President,
  Royal Society, 1890-95.
• Digital characterization for Earth processes
  (Faster, more reliable, cheaper, better)
• Transparent prediction of processes, scaling and
  heterogeneities
• (Faster, more reliable, less expensive, more
  accurate)
• Predicting performance of engineered structures
  in space and time
• Understanding the essence of life, its origin,
  evolution and potential
• Future generation scientists with their superior
  ideas
• Somewhat more predictable
• Genetic materials, microorganisms with novel
  capabilities, biotech applications
• Instrumentation for monitoring/mapping
  (imaging/sensors)
• Widgets and technology transfer
• Applications in exobiology underground in-situ
  mining
• Environmental remediation technologies

52
Summary

• Hundreds of subsurface biogeoscientists are
  poised for DUSEL
• (e.g. gt300 co-authors of Phelps and of Onstott
  from gt 100 institutions)
• DUSEL represents an exciting opportunity for
  collaborative interdisciplinary examination of
  deep biosphere, evolution and genomics,
  hydrologic and fluid cycling, deep flux of
  energy, water/rock interactions, and geophysics
• DUSEL is unique Dedicated, controlled access,
  isolated environment, multiple scales, many
  disciplines, education and outreach, and HERE!
• Appropriate tools have recently been developed
  for sample retrieval and interrogation,
  evolutionary genomics, detailed 3-D geophysics,
  and examination of coupled Bio-Geo-Hydro-Chemo-pro
  cesses
• Biogeoscientists have prepared for two decades
  ground truthing hypotheses and procedures for
  this grand opportunity
• We look forward to DUSEL collaborations

53
What have we learned? Novel indigenous microbes
and communities Novel and unusual deeply branched
sequences may be
indicative of ancestral linkages,
(early life?), Novel products for biomed and
biotech applications
Novel Bacterial lineages unique to the SA
deep-subsurface South Africa Subsurface
Firmicutes Groups (SASFiG)
SASFiG-6

SASFiG-5
SASFiG-4
SASFiG-7
SASFiG-3
SASFiG-9

SASFiG-8
SASFiG-1
SASFiG-9 (isolated) Detected within a
water-bearing dyke/fracture at 3.2 Km
depth. strictly anaerobic iron-reducer optimal
growth temperature 60 oC virgin rock temp
45 oC
SASFiG-2
54

• What have we learned?
• Subsurface biomass was considered insignificant
  but is now recognized as a major fraction of
  planetary biomass ( likely greater than surface
  biomass?)
• Subsurface microbial populations are diverse,
  active, unusual, possess novel traits, represent
  an exploitable resource

55
Recent Deep Subsurface InvestigationsWitwatersrand
Basin, South Africa
56
Summary

• Hundreds of subsurface biogeoscientists are
  poised for DUSEL
• (e.g. gt300 co-authors of Phelps and of Onstott
  from gt 100 institutions)
• DUSEL represents an exciting opportunity for
  collaborative interdisciplinary examination of
  deep biosphere, evolution and genomics,
  hydrologic and fluid cycling, deep flux of
  energy, water/rock interactions, and geophysics
• DUSEL is unique Dedicated, controlled access,
  isolated environment, multiple scales, many
  disciplines, education and outreach, and HERE!
• Appropriate tools have recently been developed
  for sample retrieval and interrogation,
  evolutionary genomics, detailed 3-D geophysics,
  and examination of coupled Bio-Geo-Hydro-Chemo-pro
  cesses
• Biogeoscientists have prepared for two decades
  ground truthing hypotheses and procedures for
  this grand opportunity
• We look forward to DUSEL collaborations

57
What have we learned? Advancements in
Subsurface Microbiology

• Drilling, tracer and QA/QC methodologies
  developed
• Extended known biosphere to 3 km
• Revealed biomass, biodiversity, unusual traits
  microbes
• Linked microbial activity with geological
  interfaces
• Slow rates of deep subsurface microbial activity
• Indications of autotrophic ecosystems
• Insights into evolution and ecological genomics

58
Despite challenges the Bio-Geo community has been
highly successful

• Old water accessed at depths 1-3 km, temperature
  gt 55C,
• pH gt 9, gushing at gt 10,000 L/hr
• Glimpse of ancient life and energy sources

59

• What have we learned?
• All observations are consistent with the laws of
  physics
• Transformations mechanisms include
• Thermogenic, geochemical, biological, and
  biogeochemical