Recovery of the deep biosphere at the Chicxulub impact crater

Abstract

This thesis employed molecular and geochemical analysis, revealing the diverse microbial communities involved in biogeochemical cycling that differed significantly between granite and non-granite rocks from the granitoid basement underlying the Chicxulub impact crater. These outcomes showed that in addition to newly formed lithologies, impact-induced geochemical boundaries within the crater still shape the recovered modern-day deep biosphere. This study provides a model system for searching for microbial life in the subsurface of well-preserved Mars impact craters.