A study revealed that bacteria may have moved from Earth to distant worlds after being spread in space by high-speed vertical winds in the atmosphere, as experts from the University of Edinburgh made their observation after creating a model to estimate the effect of wind speed on biological-sized particles.
And according to the British newspaper, “Daily Mail”, scientists have found that the microflora can travel more than 75 miles above Earth in high-speed vertical winds, and may reach more than 93 miles above the surface, which is much higher than the 47 miles height that was discovered. It previously contained bacteria.
Reaching this point would then allow the bacteria to be picked up by high-speed particles of space dust, and sent far beyond Earth into deep space.
In the paper, lead researcher Arjun Pereira explained that this could allow life to be transported to another planet, with microorganisms landing from Earth on the surface.
Scientists suggest that this may have happened in the other direction, adding credence to the “panspermia theory” that life arrived on Earth from another planet, the researchers wrote, “We found that there is a potential for these larger particles from the upper atmosphere to the thermosphere.” ”.
Also, by demonstrating that large, heavy particles can reach such high altitudes, simply by vertical transport of wind, intriguing possibilities are opened. Previously it was thought that the biosphere, the region in which life exists on Earth, extends up to about 50 miles only, but Scottish researchers suggest it could be higher.
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