During the last decades of biogeochemical and microbiological research, the widespread occurrence of microorganisms was demonstrated in deep marine and terrestrial sediments. With this discovery inevitably, the question of potential carbon and energy sources for this deep subsurface microbial life arises. In sedimentary systems, such a source is provided by buried organic matter, deposited over geological times. During geochemical and geothermal maturation, this organic material undergoes biotic and abiotic alteration processes and is suggested, to release potential substrates into the...
During the last decades of biogeochemical and microbiological research, the widespread occurrence of microorganisms was demonstrated in deep marine an...