Geology, environment, and life in the deepest part of the world’s oceans
Mengran Du, Xiaotong Peng, Haibin Zhang, Cong Ye, S. Dasgupta, Jiwei Li, Jiangtao Li, Shuangquan Liu, Hengchao Xu, Chuanxu Chen, Hongmei Jing, Hongzhou Xu, Jun Liu, Shunping He, Lisheng He, Shanya Cai, Shun Chen, Kaiwen Ta
Abstract
that reveal novel species with an unexpectedly high density, outcrops of mantle and basaltic rocks, and anthropogenic pollutants at the deepest point of the world's ocean. We advocate that the hydration of the hadal lithosphere is a driving force that influences a variety of sedimentary, geochemical, and biological processes in the hadal trench. Hadal lithosphere might host the Earth's deepest subsurface microbial ecosystem. Future research, combined with technological advances and international cooperation, should focus on establishing the intrinsic linkage of the geology, biology, and environment of the hadal trenches.