Researchers from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver have uncovered a surprising link between surface soil microbes and deep underground diamond-bearing kimberlite rocks. The discovery centers on a new way to spot mineral-rich underground formations by studying microbial life that thrives near the surface. The work has been documented in a recent issue of Communications Earth and Environment, a recognized scientific journal.
The interaction between kimberlite ore and soil does more than reveal mineral deposits; it reshapes the local bacterial communities in the topsoil. In controlled laboratory tests, scientists introduced kimberlite to soil microbial ecosystems and tracked changes in the populations and diversity of the microorganisms. The results highlighted distinctive shifts in microbial communities that correlate with the presence of kimberlite material beneath the ground.
To test this association in a real-world setting, the team collected topsoil samples from a Canadian research site in the Northwest Territories. This site had already shown signs of kimberlite through earlier drilling. By analyzing DNA sequences from soil microbes and looking for specific indicator species, researchers found that a large proportion of the expected tracers appeared in the soil samples. A notable number were detected directly on the ore, and several new indicator microbes were identified that could be incorporated into future field testing kits.
One researcher emphasized the sheer abundance and diversity of soil microbes, suggesting that these microscopic communities act as highly capable geochemists. The idea is that there is a vast reservoir of microbial indicators to draw from, which far exceeds the number of tools typically used in mineral exploration. With that in mind, the science team is exploring how to streamline these microbial signals into practical testing workflows that require only a limited set of instruments.
The researchers propose that modern bacterial DNA sequencing may offer a fresh way to search for mineral deposits. This approach blends soil science, genomics, and geology to produce a more nuanced picture of what lies beneath the surface. Rather than relying solely on traditional geochemical surveys, the method leverages the natural information carried by microbial DNA.
Earlier microbiology studies have experimented with bio-based methods for planetary exploration, including ideas about using living systems to test for oxygen in distant environments. This current line of inquiry adds to that tradition by showing how living microbes in soil can illuminate subsurface mineral systems here on Earth, potentially accelerating discovery while reducing some of the costs and complexities of deep drilling. The work underscores a broader trend in geology and environmental science toward integrating microbial data with conventional exploration techniques to build more robust models of what lies underground.