A study involving several institutions has found an underground hydrothermal system at the Chicxulub crater. This system supported microbial life for eight million years after a massive asteroid hit Earth.

一項由多家機構參與的研究發現，Chicxulub 隕石坑內存在一個地下熱液系統。在巨大的小行星撞擊地球後，該系統支持微生物生存長達八百萬年。

The event happened about 66 million years ago when an asteroid, roughly 10 to 15 kilometers wide, struck the planet. This collision caused the extinction of about 75% of all species, including the dinosaurs, and led to a long period of global cooling. However, the force of the impact also pushed the Earth's crust down by 35 kilometers and melted about 10,000 cubic kilometers of rock. Consequently, when this molten rock mixed with seawater from the Gulf of Mexico, it created a porous environment with hot, mineral-rich water.

這次事件發生在大約 6600 萬年前，當時一顆寬約 10 到 15 公里的小行星撞擊了地球。這次撞擊導致包括恐龍在內約 75% 的物種滅絕，並導致全球進入一段漫長的冷卻期。然而，撞擊的威力也將地殼壓低了 35 公里，並熔化了約 1 萬立方公里的岩石。因此，當這些熔岩與墨西哥灣的海水混合時，創造出一個充滿高溫且富含礦物質水的多孔環境。

By analyzing drill cores using a method called argon-argon dating, researchers discovered that this system stayed active from 66 to 58 million years ago. This is much longer than previous computer models suggested, which estimated the system would only last two million years. The scientists emphasized that this long duration was caused by a combination of high rock permeability and lasting heat from the impact. Furthermore, the presence of specific sulfur isotopes proves that microbes recovered quickly and lived within these protected areas.

研究人員使用一種稱為「氬-氬定年法」分析鑽孔岩芯，發現該系統在 6600 萬年前至 5800 萬年前一直保持活躍。這比之前的電腦模型預測的要長得多，之前的預測認為該系統僅能維持 200 萬年。科學家強調，這種長期的持續是由於高岩石滲透率與撞擊後持久熱量的共同作用。此外，特定硫同位素的存在證明了微生物恢復迅速，並生存於這些受保護的區域中。

These findings are very important for the study of life in space. The researchers asserted that if similar conditions existed on other planets, such as Mars, these hydrothermal systems could have acted as safe havens for microorganisms. These areas would have protected them from extreme temperatures and dangerous radiation. Therefore, this data may help scientists choose better locations to search for alien life in the future.

這些發現對於研究太空生命至關重要。研究人員斷言，如果其他行星（如火星）存在類似條件，這些熱液系統可能扮演微生物避風港的角色。這些區域將保護它們免受極端溫度和危險輻射的影響。因此，這些數據可能有助於科學家在未來選擇更好的地點來搜尋外星生命。

The research confirms that the Chicxulub impact created a lasting underground ecosystem, showing that large asteroid strikes can create long-term habitable zones.

研究證實，Chicxulub 撞擊創造了一個持久的地下生態系統，顯示大型小行星撞擊可以創造出長期宜居區。