Chapter 2 -The Fire Beneath the Sea: How Volcanic Minerals Forged Life’s First Energy

Deep in volcanic darkness, heat and minerals joined forces to forge the planet’s earliest metabolism long before sunlight powered the surface.

The Origin of Cellular Life On Planet Earth

There is significant scientific evidence and consensus that the origin of life is closely tied to the unique electrochemical properties of minerals in Earth’s early rocks.

I bet you didn’t know this, but scientists believe the first life forms on Earth appeared approximately 3.5 billion (yes, billion) years ago. Where and how did the first life forms appear, you ask? Although the two places might seem disparate, they are more similar than not - you can choose from alkaline hydrothermal vents in the ocean or geothermal hot springs on land.

For reasons you will soon learn about, my money is on the deep oceans of our planet. At depths where sunlight is absent (if you thought the sun kicked this whole thing off, you would be wrong) and temperatures are so low that life shouldn’t exist, marine biologists have been stunned to find a plethora of abundant sea life near the presence of underwater volcanic vents. Check out this amazing deep sea underwater photo:

The Birthplace of Life: Fire, Minerals, and Electrical Gradients