what is geobiology?
Geobiology could be loosely described as the science of understanding how Geology and Biology intersect, interact, and impact one another. Geology "feeds" Biology by supplying sources of energy and carbon. Biology intersects Geology when biological products weather rocks and minerals, or precipitate minerals. Biological systems drive many of Earth's key bioeochemical cycles. By this, we mean that organisms are responsible for the movement of various elements around the planet. A well-known example of this is the carbon cycle. There is carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, microorganisms and plants turn that carbon dioxide into cellular material, we all eat and die, returning that carbon to the soils and sediments of the continents, these soils and sediments erode and are transported to the oceans where the carbon in them joins ocean biomass and gets buried in marine sediments, and finally these marine sediments get subducted and the organic material is returned to carbon dioxide. Other examples of cycles where Geo meets Bio are the iron, sulfur, and nitrogen cycles, just to name a few.
Geobiology also encompasses the study of life in past Earth ecosystems. This includes fossils, but also stretches much farther back into the planet's history to think about life before there were multicellular organisms on Earth. In fact, microorganisms living on early Earth helped to build the atmosphere that we all breathe today!
For our purposes here, our Geobiology is thinking about how microorganisms can live in these subsurface, and very harsh environments. What do they use for energy? What do they use for carbon? Are they cycling iron or sulfur? How do deeper subsurface processes tie into surface environments? Are minerals forming around the springs precipitated by deep subsurface microorganisms? How can we relate these processes to environments that may have existed on early Earth or Mars? These are the kinds of questions that we are striving to answer by studying the high pH fluids from serpentinizing springs in the Philippines.
Geobiology also encompasses the study of life in past Earth ecosystems. This includes fossils, but also stretches much farther back into the planet's history to think about life before there were multicellular organisms on Earth. In fact, microorganisms living on early Earth helped to build the atmosphere that we all breathe today!
For our purposes here, our Geobiology is thinking about how microorganisms can live in these subsurface, and very harsh environments. What do they use for energy? What do they use for carbon? Are they cycling iron or sulfur? How do deeper subsurface processes tie into surface environments? Are minerals forming around the springs precipitated by deep subsurface microorganisms? How can we relate these processes to environments that may have existed on early Earth or Mars? These are the kinds of questions that we are striving to answer by studying the high pH fluids from serpentinizing springs in the Philippines.