Expedition seeks Atlantis microbes

Monday will see an international team of scientists set sail for the mid-Atlantic on a quest to sample microbes living deep in the ocean floor. The expedition will use new types of rock drill developed in the UK and Germany to retrieve cores from up to 80m below the seabed. The target of interest is the Atlantis Massif, a 4km-high underwater mountain. Scientists say its rocks may hold clues to the origins of life on Earth and its potential on other planets and moons. The team is interested in the process of serpentinisation, which involves the alteration of material brought up from the mantle. This occurs along the mid-Atlantic Ridge - the rugged chain of formations stretching down the centre of the ocean, where new crust is being created. Rocks that contain iron- and magnesium-rich minerals (olivine) react with seawater-READ MORE-BBC LINK-http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-34609272