Drilling fluid (DF) used in the drilling of crystalline continental crust is considered a potent contaminant for subsurface rock samples, though it could provide a glimpse into the nature of deep subsurface life. Microbial communities of DF retrieved from Koyna pilot borehole (3000 m) in the Deccan Traps was explored through 16S rRNA and other diagnostic marker genes. Detection of extremophilic and other deep biosphere relevant microorganisms in DF redefined the role of DF in deep life research.

Written for the centennial anniversary of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG), this paper documents the activities of the Union at the beginning of the 21st century. IUGG added an eighth association on cryospheric sciences, introduced new categories of affiliate and honorary memberships, new grants, science education, and recognition programs, and formed new commissions on climatic and environmental change, data and information, planetary sciences, and history.

Noise is a common problem for the experiments or observations. Noise in the raw data of magnetic observatories has features. The article makes an attempt to give a review of this noise, using the data from some Russian and Indian observatories.