"Beneath Our Feet: Earth's Hidden Ecosystem Holds Hundreds of Times More Carbon than Humans"

A vast and diverse ecosystem exists below Earth's surface, housing billions of microorganisms that collectively contain 15 to 23 billion tonnes of carbon – hundreds of times more than the carbon mass of all humans on the surface. This subterranean Galapagos, dominated by bacteria and archaea, has genetic diversity comparable to life above ground. Scientists are still exploring this ecosystem's potential impact on surface life and marveling at the metabolisms that allow life to survive under extreme conditions.