The project searching for a life that once existed in the area now known as the ocean floor has been relaunched by American scientists. They call this project the quest for the “Lost City“, and the search has yielded some intriguing results.
Life has been discovered in an extremely toxic environment at the ocean floor. Scientists believe that the depths of the ocean might hold secrets about the formation of life on Earth.
At one time, scientists thought that three elements were essential for life: light, water, and molecular compounds.
However, life has also been found deep beneath the ocean, in places devoid of any light, without oxygen, where sulfur constantly erupts and the conditions are highly unfavorable for the development of life.
Based on the ultra-small molecular compounds discovered, scientists believe that what is now the ocean floor was once a continent. Using deep-sea diving robots, researchers have uncovered numerous signs of life beneath the sediment at the ocean bottom and are currently conducting further studies.
Mr. Bob Ballard, a National Geographic researcher, reported that he has discovered many ultra-small living molecules and organisms capable of surviving at temperatures of 200 degrees Celsius. The Lost City project is a significant undertaking.
Scientists also suggest that the hot springs erupting from the ocean floor are not volcanic activity but rather chemical reactions caused by the movement of the Earth’s core and water currents.
Currently, the researchers involved in the project are pondering whether, in ancient times, life on Earth also originated from extremely hot environments lacking water, similar to the areas they are investigating.
