HOT SPRINGS AND THE ORIGIN OF LIFE: SIMULATING ANCIENT ATMOSPHERES IN MODERN GEOTHERMAL ENVIRONMENTS

Understanding the origin of life requires investigating the environmental conditions and biochemical processes that shaped the transition from prebiotic chemistry to early cellular life. This study focuses on terrestrial hot springs as analog environments for early Earth, proposing that life may have originated in these geochemically rich, thermally dynamic systems. Geological and molecular evidence suggests early life forms were thermophilic, adapted to high temperatures similar to those in modern hot springs. These environments—characterized by minerals like iron and sulfur, thermal gradients, and wet-dry cycles—facilitate key reactions such as carbon fixation and the formation of protocell structures. Using thermophilic organisms as modern analogs, we propose experiments that simulate early atmospheric compositions within enclosed hot spring systems to study microbial responses and chemical evolution. This approach not only enhances our understanding of early Earth biochemistry but also informs the search for life in analogous extraterrestrial environments, such as Mars and Europa. Our findings aim to shed light on how life may have emerged and evolved under varying atmospheric and geochemical conditions.