Articles | Volume 10, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-6115-2013
© Author(s) 2013. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-6115-2013
© Author(s) 2013. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article
| 
27 Sep 2013
Research article |
| 27 Sep 2013
The role of microorganisms in the formation of a stalactite in Botovskaya Cave, Siberia – paleoenvironmental implications
M. Pacton
Geological Institute, ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 5, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
now at: Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon : Terre, Planètes, Environnement Campus de la Doua, Universite Lyon 1 2 Rue Raphael Dubois, 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France
S. F. M. Breitenbach
Geological Institute, ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 5, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
F. A. Lechleitner
Geological Institute, ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 5, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
A. Vaks
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3AN, UK
C. Rollion-Bard
Centre de Recherches Pétrographiques et Géochimiques, UMR 7358, Université de Lorraine, 54500 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France
O. S. Gutareva
Institute of the Earth's Crust, Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, 128 Lermontova Street, Irkutsk 664033, Russia
A. V. Osintcev
Arabica Speleological Club, Mamin-Sibiryak Street, P.O. Box 350, Irkutsk 554082, Russia
C. Vasconcelos
Geological Institute, ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 5, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
Related authors
No articles found.
Heather M. Stoll, Chris Day, Franziska Lechleitner, Oliver Kost, Laura Endres, Jakub Sliwinski, Carlos Pérez-Mejías, Hai Cheng, and Denis Scholz
Clim. Past, 19, 2423–2444, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-2423-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-2423-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Stalagmites formed in caves provide valuable information about past changes in climate and vegetation conditions. In this contribution, we present a new method to better estimate past changes in soil and vegetation productivity using carbon isotopes and trace elements measured in stalagmites. Applying this method to other stalagmites should provide a better indication of past vegetation feedbacks to climate change.
Nikita Kaushal, Franziska A. Lechleitner, Micah Wilhelm, Janica C. Bühler, Kerstin Braun, Yassine Ait Brahim, Khalil Azennoud, Andy Baker, Yuval Burstyn, Laia Comas-Bru, Yonaton Goldsmith, Sandy P. Harrison, István G. Hatvani, Kira Rehfeld, Magdalena Ritzau, Vanessa Skiba, Heather M. Stoll, József G. Szűcs, Pauline C. Treble, Vitor Azevedo, Jonathan L. Baker, Sakonvan Chawchai, Andrea Columbu, Laura Endres, Jun Hu, Zoltán Kern, Alena Kimbrough, Koray Koç, Monika Markowska, Belen Martrat, Syed Masood Ahmad, Carole Nehme, Valdir Felipe Novello, Carlos Pérez-Mejías, Jiaoyang Ruan, Natasha Sekhon, Nitesh Sinha, Carol V. Tadros, Benjamin H. Tiger, Sophie Warken, Annabel Wolf, Haiwei Zhang, and the SISAL Working Group members
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2023-364, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2023-364, 2023
Revised manuscript accepted for ESSD
Short summary
Short summary
Speleothems are a popular, multi-proxy climate archive that provide regional-to-global insights into past hydroclimate trends with precise chronologies. We present an update to the SISAL (Speleothem Isotope Synthesis and Analysis) database, SISALv3, which for the first time contains speleothem trace element records, in addition to an update to the stable isotope records available in previous versions of the database, cumulatively providing data from 364 globally distributed sites.
Janica C. Bühler, Josefine Axelsson, Franziska A. Lechleitner, Jens Fohlmeister, Allegra N. LeGrande, Madhavan Midhun, Jesper Sjolte, Martin Werner, Kei Yoshimura, and Kira Rehfeld
Clim. Past, 18, 1625–1654, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-1625-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-1625-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We collected and standardized the output of five isotope-enabled simulations for the last millennium and assess differences and similarities to records from a global speleothem database. Modeled isotope variations mostly arise from temperature differences. While lower-resolution speleothems do not capture extreme changes to the extent of models, they show higher variability on multi-decadal timescales. As no model excels in all comparisons, we advise a multi-model approach where possible.
Franziska A. Lechleitner, Christopher C. Day, Oliver Kost, Micah Wilhelm, Negar Haghipour, Gideon M. Henderson, and Heather M. Stoll
Clim. Past, 17, 1903–1918, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-1903-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-1903-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Soil respiration is a critical but poorly constrained component of the global carbon cycle. We analyse the effect of changing soil respiration rates on the stable carbon isotope ratio of speleothems from northern Spain covering the last deglaciation. Using geochemical analysis and forward modelling we quantify the processes affecting speleothem stable carbon isotope ratios and extract a signature of increasing soil respiration synchronous with deglacial warming.
Markus Raitzsch, Claire Rollion-Bard, Ingo Horn, Grit Steinhoefel, Albert Benthien, Klaus-Uwe Richter, Matthieu Buisson, Pascale Louvat, and Jelle Bijma
Biogeosciences, 17, 5365–5375, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5365-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5365-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
The isotopic composition of boron in carbonate shells of marine unicellular organisms is a popular tool to estimate seawater pH. Usually, many shells need to be dissolved and measured for boron isotopes, but the information on their spatial distribution is lost. Here, we investigate two techniques that allow for measuring boron isotopes within single shells and show that they yield robust mean values but provide additional information on the heterogeneity within and between single shells.
Laia Comas-Bru, Kira Rehfeld, Carla Roesch, Sahar Amirnezhad-Mozhdehi, Sandy P. Harrison, Kamolphat Atsawawaranunt, Syed Masood Ahmad, Yassine Ait Brahim, Andy Baker, Matthew Bosomworth, Sebastian F. M. Breitenbach, Yuval Burstyn, Andrea Columbu, Michael Deininger, Attila Demény, Bronwyn Dixon, Jens Fohlmeister, István Gábor Hatvani, Jun Hu, Nikita Kaushal, Zoltán Kern, Inga Labuhn, Franziska A. Lechleitner, Andrew Lorrey, Belen Martrat, Valdir Felipe Novello, Jessica Oster, Carlos Pérez-Mejías, Denis Scholz, Nick Scroxton, Nitesh Sinha, Brittany Marie Ward, Sophie Warken, Haiwei Zhang, and SISAL Working Group members
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 12, 2579–2606, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-2579-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-2579-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
This paper presents an updated version of the SISAL (Speleothem Isotope Synthesis and Analysis) database. This new version contains isotopic data from 691 speleothem records from 294 cave sites and new age–depth models, including their uncertainties, for 512 speleothems.
Kamolphat Atsawawaranunt, Laia Comas-Bru, Sahar Amirnezhad Mozhdehi, Michael Deininger, Sandy P. Harrison, Andy Baker, Meighan Boyd, Nikita Kaushal, Syed Masood Ahmad, Yassine Ait Brahim, Monica Arienzo, Petra Bajo, Kerstin Braun, Yuval Burstyn, Sakonvan Chawchai, Wuhui Duan, István Gábor Hatvani, Jun Hu, Zoltán Kern, Inga Labuhn, Matthew Lachniet, Franziska A. Lechleitner, Andrew Lorrey, Carlos Pérez-Mejías, Robyn Pickering, Nick Scroxton, and SISAL Working Group Members
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 10, 1687–1713, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-10-1687-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-10-1687-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
This paper is an overview of the contents of the SISAL database and its structure. The database contains oxygen and carbon isotope measurements from 371 individual speleothem records and 10 composite records from 174 cave systems from around the world. The SISAL database is created by a collective effort of the members of the Past Global Changes SISAL working group, which aims to provide a comprehensive compilation of speleothem isotope records for climate reconstruction and model evaluation.
J. F. Donges, R. V. Donner, N. Marwan, S. F. M. Breitenbach, K. Rehfeld, and J. Kurths
Clim. Past, 11, 709–741, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-709-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-709-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
Paleoclimate records from cave deposits allow the reconstruction of Holocene dynamics of the Asian monsoon system, an important tipping element in Earth's climate. Employing recently developed techniques of nonlinear time series analysis reveals several robust and continental-scale regime shifts in the complexity of monsoonal variability. These regime shifts might have played an important role as drivers of migration, cultural change, and societal collapse during the past 10,000 years.
Related subject area
Biogeochemistry: Biomineralization
Impact of seawater sulfate concentration on sulfur concentration and isotopic composition in calcite of two cultured benthic foraminifera
Marked recent declines in boron in Baltic Sea cod otoliths – a bellwether of incipient acidification in a vast hypoxic system?
The calcitic test growth rate of Spirillina vivipara (Foraminifera)
Ocean acidification enhances primary productivity and nocturnal carbonate dissolution in intertidal rock pools
Biomineralization of amorphous Fe-, Mn- and Si-rich mineral phases by cyanobacteria under oxic and alkaline conditions
Biogenic calcium carbonate as evidence for life
Element ∕ Ca ratios in Nodosariida (Foraminifera) and their potential application for paleoenvironmental reconstructions
Deciphering the origin of dubiofossils from the Pennsylvanian of the Paraná Basin, Brazil
Properties of exopolymeric substances (EPSs) produced during cyanobacterial growth: potential role in whiting events
Inorganic component in oak waterlogged archaeological wood and volcanic lake compartments
Ultradian rhythms in shell composition of photosymbiotic and non-photosymbiotic mollusks
Extracellular enzyme activity in the coastal upwelling system off Peru: a mesocosm experiment
Multi-proxy assessment of brachiopod shell calcite as a potential archive of seawater temperature and oxygen isotope composition
Upper-ocean flux of biogenic calcite produced by the Arctic planktonic foraminifera Neogloboquadrina pachyderma
Do bacterial viruses affect framboid-like mineral formation?
Calcification response of reef corals to seasonal upwelling in the northern Arabian Sea (Masirah Island, Oman)
Growth rate rather than temperature affects the B∕Ca ratio in the calcareous red alga Lithothamnion corallioides
Heavy metal uptake of nearshore benthic foraminifera during multi-metal culturing experiments
A stable ultrastructural pattern despite variable cell size in Lithothamnion corallioides
Decoupling salinity and carbonate chemistry: low calcium ion concentration rather than salinity limits calcification in Baltic Sea mussels
Technical note: A universal method for measuring the thickness of microscopic calcite crystals, based on bidirectional circular polarization
The patterns of elemental concentration (Ca, Na, Sr, Mg, Mn, Ba, Cu, Pb, V, Y, U and Cd) in shells of invertebrates representing different CaCO3 polymorphs: a case study from the brackish Gulf of Gdańsk (the Baltic Sea)
Carbonic anhydrase is involved in calcification by the benthic foraminifer Amphistegina lessonii
Distribution of chlorine and fluorine in benthic foraminifera
Rare earth elements in oyster shells: provenance discrimination and potential vital effects
Determining how biotic and abiotic variables affect the shell condition and parameters of Heliconoides inflatus pteropods from a sediment trap in the Cariaco Basin
Intercomparison of four methods to estimate coral calcification under various environmental conditions
Technical note: The silicon isotopic composition of choanoflagellates: implications for a mechanistic understanding of isotopic fractionation during biosilicification
Insights into architecture, growth dynamics, and biomineralization from pulsed Sr-labelled Katelysia rhytiphora shells (Mollusca, Bivalvia)
Subaqueous speleothems (Hells Bells) formed by the interplay of pelagic redoxcline biogeochemistry and specific hydraulic conditions in the El Zapote sinkhole, Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico
Kinetics of calcite precipitation by ureolytic bacteria under aerobic and anaerobic conditions
Coupled calcium and inorganic carbon uptake suggested by magnesium and sulfur incorporation in foraminiferal calcite
Planktonic foraminiferal spine versus shell carbonate Na incorporation in relation to salinity
Precipitation of calcium carbonate mineral induced by viral lysis of cyanobacteria: evidence from laboratory experiments
Mineral formation induced by cable bacteria performing long-distance electron transport in marine sediments
Variation in brachiopod microstructure and isotope geochemistry under low-pH–ocean acidification conditions
Weaving of biomineralization framework in rotaliid foraminifera: implications for paleoceanographic proxies
Marine and freshwater micropearls: biomineralization producing strontium-rich amorphous calcium carbonate inclusions is widespread in the genus Tetraselmis (Chlorophyta)
Carbon and nitrogen turnover in the Arctic deep sea: in situ benthic community response to diatom and coccolithophorid phytodetritus
Technical note: A refinement of coccolith separation methods: measuring the sinking characteristics of coccoliths
Improving the strength of sandy soils via ureolytic CaCO3 solidification by Sporosarcina ureae
Impact of salinity on element incorporation in two benthic foraminiferal species with contrasting magnesium contents
Calcification in a marginal sea – influence of seawater [Ca2+] and carbonate chemistry on bivalve shell formation
Effect of temperature rise and ocean acidification on growth of calcifying tubeworm shells (Spirorbis spirorbis): an in situ benthocosm approach
Phosphorus limitation and heat stress decrease calcification in Emiliania huxleyi
Anatomical structure overrides temperature controls on magnesium uptake – calcification in the Arctic/subarctic coralline algae Leptophytum laeve and Kvaleya epilaeve (Rhodophyta; Corallinales)
Coral calcifying fluid aragonite saturation states derived from Raman spectroscopy
Impact of trace metal concentrations on coccolithophore growth and morphology: laboratory simulations of Cretaceous stress
Ba incorporation in benthic foraminifera
Size-dependent response of foraminiferal calcification to seawater carbonate chemistry
Caroline Thaler, Guillaume Paris, Marc Dellinger, Delphine Dissard, Sophie Berland, Arul Marie, Amandine Labat, and Annachiara Bartolini
Biogeosciences, 20, 5177–5198, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-5177-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-5177-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Our study focuses on one of the most used microfossils in paleoenvironmental reconstructions: foraminifera. We set up a novel approach of long-term cultures under variable and controlled conditions. Our results highlight that foraminiferal tests can be used as a unique record of both SO42−/CaCO3 and δ34S seawater variation. This establishes geological formations composed of biogenic carbonates as a potential repository of paleoenvironmental seawater sulfate chemical and geochemical variation.
Karin E. Limburg, Yvette Heimbrand, and Karol Kuliński
Biogeosciences, 20, 4751–4760, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4751-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4751-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We found a 3-to-5-fold decline in boron in Baltic cod otoliths between the late 1990s and 2021. The trend correlates with declines in oxygen and pH but not with increased salinity. Otolith B : Ca correlated with phosphorus in a healthy out-group (Icelandic cod) but not in Baltic cod. The otolith biomarkers Mn : Mg (hypoxia proxy) and B : Ca in cod otoliths suggest a general increase in both hypoxia and acidification within Baltic intermediate and deep waters in the last decade.
Yukiko Nagai, Katsuyuki Uematsu, Briony Mamo, and Takashi Toyofuku
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2259, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-2259, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This research highlights Spirillina vivipara's calcification strategy, highlighting variability in foraminiferal test formation. By examining its rapid growth and high calcification rate, we explain ecological strategies correlating with its broad coastal distribution. These insights amplify our understanding of foraminiferal ecology and underscore their impact on marine carbon cycling and paleoclimate studies, advocating for a species-specific approach in future research.
Narimane Dorey, Sophie Martin, and Lester Kwiatkowski
Biogeosciences, 20, 4289–4306, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4289-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4289-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Human CO2 emissions are modifying ocean carbonate chemistry, causing ocean acidification and likely already impacting marine ecosystems. Here, we added CO2 to intertidal pools at the start of emersion to investigate the influence of future ocean acidification on net community production (NCP) and calcification (NCC). By day, adding CO2 fertilized the pools (+20 % NCP). By night, pools experienced net community dissolution, a dissolution that was further increased (+40 %) by the CO2 addition.
Karim Benzerara, Agnès Elmaleh, Maria Ciobanu, Alexis De Wever, Paola Bertolino, Miguel Iniesto, Didier Jézéquel, Purificación López-García, Nicolas Menguy, Elodie Muller, Fériel Skouri-Panet, Sufal Swaraj, Rosaluz Tavera, Christophe Thomazo, and David Moreira
Biogeosciences, 20, 4183–4195, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4183-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4183-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Iron and manganese are poorly soluble in oxic and alkaline solutions but much more soluble under anoxic conditions. As a result, authigenic minerals rich in Fe and/or Mn have been viewed as diagnostic of anoxic conditions. However, here we reveal a new case of biomineralization by specific cyanobacteria, forming abundant Fe(III)- and Mn(IV)-rich amorphous phases under oxic conditions in an alkaline lake. This might be an overlooked biotic contribution to the scavenging of Fe from water columns.
Sara Ronca, Francesco Mura, Marco Brandano, Angela Cirigliano, Francesca Benedetti, Alessandro Grottoli, Massimo Reverberi, Daniele Federico Maras, Rodolfo Negri, Ernesto Di Mauro, and Teresa Rinaldi
Biogeosciences, 20, 4135–4145, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4135-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4135-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The history of Earth is a story of the co-evolution of minerals and microbes. We present the evidence that moonmilk precipitation is driven by microorganisms within the rocks and not only on the rock surfaces. Moreover, the moonmilk produced within the rocks contributes to rock formation. The calcite speleothem moonmilk is the only known carbonate speleothem on Earth with undoubted biogenic origin, thus representing a biosignature of life.
Laura Pacho, Lennart de Nooijer, and Gert-Jan Reichart
Biogeosciences, 20, 4043–4056, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4043-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4043-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We analyzed Mg / Ca and other El / Ca (Na / Ca, B / Ca, Sr / Ca and Ba / Ca) in Nodosariata. Their calcite chemistry is markedly different to that of the other calcifying orders of foraminifera. We show a relation between the species average Mg / Ca and its sensitivity to changes in temperature. Differences were reflected in both the Mg incorporation and the sensitivities of Mg / Ca to temperature.
João Pedro Saldanha, Joice Cagliari, Rodrigo Scalise Horodyski, Lucas Del Mouro, and Mírian Liza Alves Forancelli Pacheco
Biogeosciences, 20, 3943–3979, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3943-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3943-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We analyze a complex and branched mineral structure with an obscure origin, considering form, matrix, composition, and context. Comparisons eliminate controlled biominerals. The structure's intricate history suggests microbial influence and alterations, followed by a thermal event. Complex interactions shaped its forms, making origin classification tougher. This study highlights the elaborated nature of dubiofossils, identifying challenges in distinguishing biominerals from abiotic minerals.
Marlisa Martinho de Brito, Irina Bundeleva, Frédéric Marin, Emmanuelle Vennin, Annick Wilmotte, Laurent Plasseraud, and Pieter T. Visscher
Biogeosciences, 20, 3165–3183, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3165-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3165-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Cyanobacterial blooms are associated with whiting events – natural occurrences of fine-grained carbonate precipitation in the water column. The role of organic matter (OM) produced by cyanobacteria in these events has been overlooked in previous research. Our laboratory experiments showed that OM affects the size and quantity of CaCO3 minerals. We propose a model of OM-associated CaCO3 precipitation during picoplankton blooms, which may have been neglected in modern and ancient events.
Giancarlo Sidoti, Federica Antonelli, Giulia Galotta, Maria Cristina Moscatelli, Davor Kržišnik, Vittorio Vinciguerra, Swati Tamantini, Rosita Marabottini, Natalia Macro, and Manuela Romagnoli
Biogeosciences, 20, 3137–3149, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3137-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3137-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The mineral content in archaeological wood pile dwellings and in the surrounding sediments in a volcanic lake was investigated. Calcium was the most abundant element; the second most abundant element was arsenic in sapwood. Sulfur, iron and potassium were also present. The mineral compounds are linked to the volcanic origin of the lake, to bioaccumulation processes induced by bacteria (i.e. sulfate-reducing bacteria) and to biochemical processes.
Niels J. de Winter, Daniel Killam, Lukas Fröhlich, Lennart de Nooijer, Wim Boer, Bernd R. Schöne, Julien Thébault, and Gert-Jan Reichart
Biogeosciences, 20, 3027–3052, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3027-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3027-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Mollusk shells are valuable recorders of climate and environmental changes of the past down to a daily resolution. To explore this potential, we measured changes in the composition of shells of two types of bivalves recorded at the hourly scale: the king scallop Pecten maximus and giant clams (Tridacna) that engaged in photosymbiosis. We find that photosymbiosis produces more day–night fluctuation in shell chemistry but that most of the variation is not periodic, perhaps recording weather.
Kristian Spilling, Jonna Piiparinen, Eric P. Achterberg, Javier Arístegui, Lennart T. Bach, Maria T. Camarena-Gómez, Elisabeth von der Esch, Martin A. Fischer, Markel Gómez-Letona, Nauzet Hernández-Hernández, Judith Meyer, Ruth A. Schmitz, and Ulf Riebesell
Biogeosciences, 20, 1605–1619, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1605-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1605-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We carried out an enclosure experiment using surface water off Peru with different additions of oxygen minimum zone water. In this paper, we report on enzyme activity and provide data on the decomposition of organic matter. We found very high activity with respect to an enzyme breaking down protein, suggesting that this is important for nutrient recycling both at present and in the future ocean.
Thomas Letulle, Danièle Gaspard, Mathieu Daëron, Florent Arnaud-Godet, Arnauld Vinçon-Laugier, Guillaume Suan, and Christophe Lécuyer
Biogeosciences, 20, 1381–1403, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1381-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1381-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This paper studies the chemistry of modern marine shells called brachiopods. We investigate the relationship of the chemistry of these shells with sea temperatures to test and develop tools for estimating sea temperatures in the distant past. Our results confirm that two of the investigated chemical markers could be useful thermometers despite some second-order variability independent of temperature. The other chemical markers investigated, however, should not be used as a thermometer.
Franziska Tell, Lukas Jonkers, Julie Meilland, and Michal Kucera
Biogeosciences, 19, 4903–4927, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4903-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4903-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
This study analyses the production of calcite shells formed by one of the main Arctic pelagic calcifiers, the foraminifera N. pachyderma. Using vertically resolved profiles of shell concentration, size and weight, we show that calcification occurs throughout the upper 300 m with an average production flux below the calcification zone of 8 mg CaCO3 m−2 d−1 representing 23 % of the total pelagic biogenic carbonate production. The production flux is attenuated in the twilight zone by dissolution.
Paweł Działak, Marcin D. Syczewski, Kamil Kornaus, Mirosław Słowakiewicz, Łukasz Zych, and Andrzej Borkowski
Biogeosciences, 19, 4533–4550, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4533-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4533-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Bacteriophages comprise one of the factors that may influence mineralization processes. The number of bacteriophages in the environment usually exceeds the number of bacteria by an order of magnitude. One of the more interesting processes is the formation of framboidal pyrite, and it is not entirely clear what processes determine its formation. Our studies indicate that some bacterial viruses may influence the formation of framboid-like or spherical structures.
Philipp M. Spreter, Markus Reuter, Regina Mertz-Kraus, Oliver Taylor, and Thomas C. Brachert
Biogeosciences, 19, 3559–3573, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3559-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3559-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We investigate the calcification rate of reef corals from an upwelling zone, where low seawater pH and high nutrient concentrations represent a recent analogue for the future ocean. Calcification rate of the corals largely relies on extension growth. Variable responses of extension growth to nutrients either compensate or exacerbate negative effects of weak skeletal thickening associated with low seawater pH – a mechanism that is critical for the persistence of coral reefs under global change.
Giulia Piazza, Valentina A. Bracchi, Antonio Langone, Agostino N. Meroni, and Daniela Basso
Biogeosciences, 19, 1047–1065, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1047-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1047-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The coralline alga Lithothamnion corallioides is widely distributed in the Mediterranean Sea and NE Atlantic Ocean, where it constitutes rhodolith beds, which are diversity-rich ecosystems on the seabed. The boron incorporated in the calcified thallus of coralline algae (B/Ca) can be used to trace past changes in seawater carbonate and pH. This paper suggests a non-negligible effect of algal growth rate on B/Ca, recommending caution in adopting this proxy for paleoenvironmental reconstructions.
Sarina Schmidt, Ed C. Hathorne, Joachim Schönfeld, and Dieter Garbe-Schönberg
Biogeosciences, 19, 629–664, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-629-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-629-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The study addresses the potential of marine shell-forming organisms as proxy carriers for heavy metal contamination in the environment. The aim is to investigate if the incorporation of heavy metals is a direct function of their concentration in seawater. Culturing experiments with a metal mixture were carried out over a wide concentration range. Our results show shell-forming organisms to be natural archives that enable the determination of metals in polluted and pristine environments.
Valentina Alice Bracchi, Giulia Piazza, and Daniela Basso
Biogeosciences, 18, 6061–6076, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6061-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-6061-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Ultrastructures of Lithothamnion corallioides, a crustose coralline alga collected from the Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea at different depths, show high-Mg-calcite cell walls formed by crystals with a specific shape and orientation that are unaffected by different environmental conditions of the living sites. This suggests that the biomineralization process is biologically controlled in coralline algae and can have interesting applications in paleontology.
Trystan Sanders, Jörn Thomsen, Jens Daniel Müller, Gregor Rehder, and Frank Melzner
Biogeosciences, 18, 2573–2590, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2573-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2573-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The Baltic Sea is expected to experience a rapid drop in salinity and increases in acidity and warming in the next century. Calcifying mussels dominate Baltic Sea seafloor ecosystems yet are sensitive to changes in seawater chemistry. We combine laboratory experiments and a field study and show that a lack of calcium causes extremely slow growth rates in mussels at low salinities. Subsequently, climate change in the Baltic may have drastic ramifications for Baltic seafloor ecosystems.
Luc Beaufort, Yves Gally, Baptiste Suchéras-Marx, Patrick Ferrand, and Julien Duboisset
Biogeosciences, 18, 775–785, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-775-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-775-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The coccoliths are major contributors to the particulate inorganic carbon in the ocean. They are extremely difficult to weigh because they are too small to be manipulated. We propose a universal method to measure thickness and weight of fine calcite using polarizing microscopy that does not require fine-tuning of the light or a calibration process. This method named "bidirectional circular polarization" uses two images taken with two directions of a circular polarizer.
Anna Piwoni-Piórewicz, Stanislav Strekopytov, Emma Humphreys-Williams, and Piotr Kukliński
Biogeosciences, 18, 707–728, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-707-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-707-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Calcifying organisms occur globally in almost every environment, and the process of biomineralization is of great importance in the global carbon cycle and use of skeletons as environmental data archives. The composition of skeletons is very complex. It is determined by the mechanisms of biological control on biomineralization and the response of calcifying organisms to varying environmental drivers. Yet for trace elements, such as Cu, Pb and Cd, an impact of environmental factors is pronounced.
Siham de Goeyse, Alice E. Webb, Gert-Jan Reichart, and Lennart J. de Nooijer
Biogeosciences, 18, 393–401, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-393-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-393-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Foraminifera are calcifying organisms that play a role in the marine inorganic-carbon cycle and are widely used to reconstruct paleoclimates. However, the fundamental process by which they calcify remains essentially unknown. Here we use inhibitors to show that an enzyme is speeding up the conversion between bicarbonate and CO2. This helps the foraminifera acquire sufficient carbon for calcification and might aid their tolerance to elevated CO2 level.
Anne Roepert, Lubos Polerecky, Esmee Geerken, Gert-Jan Reichart, and Jack J. Middelburg
Biogeosciences, 17, 4727–4743, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4727-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4727-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We investigated, for the first time, the spatial distribution of chlorine and fluorine in the shell walls of four benthic foraminifera species: Ammonia tepida, Amphistegina lessonii, Archaias angulatus, and Sorites marginalis. Cross sections of specimens were imaged using nanoSIMS. The distribution of Cl and F was co-located with organics in the rotaliids and rather homogeneously distributed in miliolids. We suggest that the incorporation is governed by the biomineralization pathway.
Vincent Mouchi, Camille Godbillot, Vianney Forest, Alexey Ulianov, Franck Lartaud, Marc de Rafélis, Laurent Emmanuel, and Eric P. Verrecchia
Biogeosciences, 17, 2205–2217, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-2205-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-2205-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Rare earth elements (REEs) in coastal seawater are included in bivalve shells during growth, and a regional fingerprint can be defined for provenance and environmental monitoring studies. We present a large dataset of REE abundances from oysters from six locations in France. The cupped oyster can be discriminated from one locality to another, but this is not the case for the flat oyster. Therefore, provenance studies using bivalve shells based on REEs are not adapted for the flat oyster.
Rosie L. Oakes and Jocelyn A. Sessa
Biogeosciences, 17, 1975–1990, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-1975-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-1975-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Pteropods are a group of tiny swimming snails whose fragile shells put them at risk from ocean acidification. We investigated the factors influencing the thickness of pteropods shells in the Cariaco Basin, off Venezuela, which is unaffected by ocean acidification. We found that pteropods formed thicker shells when nutrient concentrations, an indicator of food availability, were highest, indicating that food may be an important factor in mitigating the effects of ocean acidification on pteropods.
Miguel Gómez Batista, Marc Metian, François Oberhänsli, Simon Pouil, Peter W. Swarzenski, Eric Tambutté, Jean-Pierre Gattuso, Carlos M. Alonso Hernández, and Frédéric Gazeau
Biogeosciences, 17, 887–899, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-887-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-887-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
In this paper, we assessed four methods (total alkalinity anomaly, calcium anomaly, 45Ca incorporation, and 13C incorporation) to determine coral calcification of a reef-building coral. Under all conditions (light vs. dark incubations and ambient vs. lowered pH levels), calcification rates estimated using the alkalinity and calcium anomaly techniques as well as 45Ca incorporation were highly correlated, while significantly different results were obtained with the 13C incorporation technique.
Alan Marron, Lucie Cassarino, Jade Hatton, Paul Curnow, and Katharine R. Hendry
Biogeosciences, 16, 4805–4813, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4805-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4805-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Isotopic signatures of silica fossils can be used as archives of past oceanic silicon cycling, which is linked to marine carbon uptake. However, the biochemistry that lies behind such chemical fingerprints remains poorly understood. We present the first measurements of silicon isotopes in a group of protists closely related to animals, choanoflagellates. Our results highlight a taxonomic basis to silica isotope signatures, possibly via a shared transport pathway in choanoflagellates and animals.
Laura M. Otter, Oluwatoosin B. A. Agbaje, Matt R. Kilburn, Christoph Lenz, Hadrien Henry, Patrick Trimby, Peter Hoppe, and Dorrit E. Jacob
Biogeosciences, 16, 3439–3455, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-3439-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-3439-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
This study uses strontium as a trace elemental marker in combination with high-resolution nano-analytical techniques to label the growth fronts of bivalves in controlled aquaculture conditions. The growing shells incorporate the labels and are used as
snapshotsvisualizing the growth processes across different shell architectures. These observations are combined with structural investigations across length scales and altogether allow for a detailed understanding of this shell.
Simon Michael Ritter, Margot Isenbeck-Schröter, Christian Scholz, Frank Keppler, Johannes Gescher, Lukas Klose, Nils Schorndorf, Jerónimo Avilés Olguín, Arturo González-González, and Wolfgang Stinnesbeck
Biogeosciences, 16, 2285–2305, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2285-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2285-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Unique and spectacular under water speleothems termed as Hells Bells were recently reported from sinkholes (cenotes) of the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. However, the mystery of their formation remained unresolved. Here, we present detailed geochemical analyses and delineate that the growth of Hells Bells results from a combination of biogeochemical processes and variable hydraulic conditions within the cenote.
Andrew C. Mitchell, Erika J. Espinosa-Ortiz, Stacy L. Parks, Adrienne J. Phillips, Alfred B. Cunningham, and Robin Gerlach
Biogeosciences, 16, 2147–2161, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2147-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2147-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Microbially induced carbonate mineral precipitation (MICP) is a natural process that is also being investigated for subsurface engineering applications including radionuclide immobilization and microfracture plugging. We demonstrate that rates of MICP from microbial urea hydrolysis (ureolysis) vary with different bacterial strains, but rates are similar in both oxygenated and oxygen-free conditions. Ureolysis MICP is therefore a viable biotechnology in the predominately oxygen-free subsurface.
Inge van Dijk, Christine Barras, Lennart Jan de Nooijer, Aurélia Mouret, Esmee Geerken, Shai Oron, and Gert-Jan Reichart
Biogeosciences, 16, 2115–2130, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2115-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2115-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Systematics in the incorporation of different elements in shells of marine organisms can be used to test calcification models and thus processes involved in precipitation of calcium carbonates. On different scales, we observe a covariation of sulfur and magnesium incorporation in shells of foraminifera, which provides insights into the mechanics behind shell formation. The observed patterns imply that all species of foraminifera actively take up calcium and carbon in a coupled process.
Eveline M. Mezger, Lennart J. de Nooijer, Jacqueline Bertlich, Jelle Bijma, Dirk Nürnberg, and Gert-Jan Reichart
Biogeosciences, 16, 1147–1165, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-1147-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-1147-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Seawater salinity is an important factor when trying to reconstruct past ocean conditions. Foraminifera, small organisms living in the sea, produce shells that incorporate more Na at higher salinities. The accuracy of reconstructions depends on the fundamental understanding involved in the incorporation and preservation of the original Na of the shell. In this study, we unravel the Na composition of different components of the shell and describe the relative contribution of these components.
Hengchao Xu, Xiaotong Peng, Shijie Bai, Kaiwen Ta, Shouye Yang, Shuangquan Liu, Ho Bin Jang, and Zixiao Guo
Biogeosciences, 16, 949–960, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-949-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-949-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Viruses have been acknowledged as important components of the marine system for the past 2 decades, but understanding of their role in the functioning of the geochemical cycle remains poor. Results show viral lysis of cyanobacteria can influence the carbonate equilibrium system remarkably and promotes the formation and precipitation of carbonate minerals. Amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) and aragonite are evident in the lysate, implying that different precipitation processes have occurred.
Nicole M. J. Geerlings, Eva-Maria Zetsche, Silvia Hidalgo-Martinez, Jack J. Middelburg, and Filip J. R. Meysman
Biogeosciences, 16, 811–829, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-811-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-811-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Multicellular cable bacteria form long filaments that can reach lengths of several centimeters. They affect the chemistry and mineralogy of their surroundings and vice versa. How the surroundings affect the cable bacteria is investigated. They show three different types of biomineral formation: (1) a polymer containing phosphorus in their cells, (2) a sheath of clay surrounding the surface of the filament and (3) the encrustation of a filament via a solid phase containing iron and phosphorus.
Facheng Ye, Hana Jurikova, Lucia Angiolini, Uwe Brand, Gaia Crippa, Daniela Henkel, Jürgen Laudien, Claas Hiebenthal, and Danijela Šmajgl
Biogeosciences, 16, 617–642, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-617-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-617-2019, 2019
Yukiko Nagai, Katsuyuki Uematsu, Chong Chen, Ryoji Wani, Jarosław Tyszka, and Takashi Toyofuku
Biogeosciences, 15, 6773–6789, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6773-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6773-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
We interpret detailed SEM and time-lapse observations of the calcification process in living foraminifera, which we reveal to be directly linked to the construction mechanism of organic membranes where the calcium carbonate precipitation takes place. We show that these membranes are a highly perforated outline is first woven by skeletal pseudopodia and then later overlaid by a layer of membranous pseudopodia to close the gaps. The chemical composition is related to these structures.
Agathe Martignier, Montserrat Filella, Kilian Pollok, Michael Melkonian, Michael Bensimon, François Barja, Falko Langenhorst, Jean-Michel Jaquet, and Daniel Ariztegui
Biogeosciences, 15, 6591–6605, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6591-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6591-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
The unicellular microalga Tetraselmis cordiformis (Chlorophyta) was recently discovered to form intracellular mineral inclusions, called micropearls, which had been previously overlooked. The present study shows that 10 Tetraselmis species out of the 12 tested share this biomineralization capacity, producing amorphous calcium carbonate inclusions often enriched in Sr. This novel biomineralization process can take place in marine, brackish or freshwater and is therefore a widespread phenomenon.
Ulrike Braeckman, Felix Janssen, Gaute Lavik, Marcus Elvert, Hannah Marchant, Caroline Buckner, Christina Bienhold, and Frank Wenzhöfer
Biogeosciences, 15, 6537–6557, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6537-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6537-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Global warming has altered Arctic phytoplankton communities, with unknown effects on deep-sea communities that depend strongly on food produced at the surface. We compared the responses of Arctic deep-sea benthos to input of phytodetritus from diatoms and coccolithophorids. Coccolithophorid carbon was 5× less recycled than diatom carbon. The utilization of the coccolithophorid carbon may be less efficient, so a shift from diatom to coccolithophorid blooms could entail a delay in carbon cycling.
Hongrui Zhang, Heather Stoll, Clara Bolton, Xiaobo Jin, and Chuanlian Liu
Biogeosciences, 15, 4759–4775, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4759-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4759-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
The sinking speeds of coccoliths are relevant for laboratory methods to separate coccoliths for geochemical analysis. However, in the absence of estimates of coccolith settling velocity, previous implementations have depended mainly on time-consuming method development by trial and error. In this study, the sinking velocities of cocooliths were carefully measured for the first time. We also provide an estimation of coccolith sinking velocity by shape, which will make coccolith separation easier.
Justin Michael Whitaker, Sai Vanapalli, and Danielle Fortin
Biogeosciences, 15, 4367–4380, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4367-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4367-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Materials, like soils or cements, can require repair. This study used a new bacterium (Sporosarcina ureae) in a repair method called "microbially induced carbonate precipitation" (MICP). In three trials, benefits were shown: S. ureae could make a model sandy soil much stronger by MICP, in fact better than a lot of other bacteria. However, MICP-treated samples got weaker in three trials of acid rain. In conclusion, S. ureae in MICP repair shows promise when used in appropriate climates.
Esmee Geerken, Lennart Jan de Nooijer, Inge van Dijk, and Gert-Jan Reichart
Biogeosciences, 15, 2205–2218, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-2205-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-2205-2018, 2018
Jörn Thomsen, Kirti Ramesh, Trystan Sanders, Markus Bleich, and Frank Melzner
Biogeosciences, 15, 1469–1482, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1469-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1469-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
The distribution of mussel in estuaries is limited but the mechanisms are not well understood. We document for the first time that reduced Ca2+ concentration in the low saline, brackish Baltic Sea affects the ability of mussel larvae to calcify the first larval shell. As complete formation of the shell is a prerequisite for successful development, impaired calcification during this sensitive life stage can have detrimental effects on the species' ability to colonize habitats.
Sha Ni, Isabelle Taubner, Florian Böhm, Vera Winde, and Michael E. Böttcher
Biogeosciences, 15, 1425–1445, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1425-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1425-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Spirorbis tube worms are common epibionts on brown algae in the Baltic Sea. We made experiments with Spirorbis in the
Kiel Outdoor Benthocosmsat CO2 and temperature conditions predicted for the year 2100. The worms were able to grow tubes even at CO2 levels favouring shell dissolution but did not survive at mean temperatures over 24° C. This indicates that Spirorbis worms will suffer from future excessive ocean warming and from ocean acidification fostering corrosion of their protective tubes.
Andrea C. Gerecht, Luka Šupraha, Gerald Langer, and Jorijntje Henderiks
Biogeosciences, 15, 833–845, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-833-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-833-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Calcifying phytoplankton play an import role in long-term CO2 removal from the atmosphere. We therefore studied the ability of a representative species to continue sequestrating CO2 under future climate conditions. We show that CO2 sequestration is negatively affected by both an increase in temperature and the resulting decrease in nutrient availability. This will impact the biogeochemical cycle of carbon and may have a positive feedback on rising CO2 levels.
Merinda C. Nash and Walter Adey
Biogeosciences, 15, 781–795, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-781-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-781-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Past seawater temperatures can be reconstructed using magnesium / calcium ratios of biogenic carbonates. As temperature increases, so does magnesium. Here we show that for these Arctic/subarctic coralline algae, anatomy is the first control on Mg / Ca, not temperature. When using coralline algae for temperature reconstruction, it is first necessary to check for anatomical influences on Mg / Ca.
Thomas M. DeCarlo, Juan P. D'Olivo, Taryn Foster, Michael Holcomb, Thomas Becker, and Malcolm T. McCulloch
Biogeosciences, 14, 5253–5269, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5253-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5253-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
We present a new technique to quantify the chemical conditions under which corals build their skeletons by analysing them with lasers at a very fine resolution, down to 1/100th the width of a human hair. Our first applications to laboratory-cultured and wild corals demonstrates the complex interplay among seawater conditions (temperature and acidity), calcifying fluid chemistry, and bulk skeleton accretion, which will define the sensitivity of coral calcification to 21st century climate change.
Giulia Faucher, Linn Hoffmann, Lennart T. Bach, Cinzia Bottini, Elisabetta Erba, and Ulf Riebesell
Biogeosciences, 14, 3603–3613, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3603-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3603-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
The main goal of this study was to understand if, similarly to the fossil record, high quantities of toxic metals induce coccolith dwarfism in coccolithophore species. We investigated, for the first time, the effects of trace metals on coccolithophore species other than E. huxleyi and on coccolith morphology and size. Our data show a species-specific sensitivity to trace metal concentration, allowing the recognition of the most-, intermediate- and least-tolerant taxa to trace metal enrichments.
Lennart J. de Nooijer, Anieke Brombacher, Antje Mewes, Gerald Langer, Gernot Nehrke, Jelle Bijma, and Gert-Jan Reichart
Biogeosciences, 14, 3387–3400, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3387-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3387-2017, 2017
Michael J. Henehan, David Evans, Madison Shankle, Janet E. Burke, Gavin L. Foster, Eleni Anagnostou, Thomas B. Chalk, Joseph A. Stewart, Claudia H. S. Alt, Joseph Durrant, and Pincelli M. Hull
Biogeosciences, 14, 3287–3308, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3287-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3287-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
It is still unclear whether foraminifera (calcifying plankton that play an important role in cycling carbon) will have difficulty in making their shells in more acidic oceans, with different studies often reporting apparently conflicting results. We used live lab cultures, mathematical models, and fossil measurements to test this question, and found low pH does reduce calcification. However, we find this response is likely size-dependent, which may have obscured this response in other studies.
Cited articles
Baldini, J., McDermott, F., Hoffmann, D., Richards, D., and Clipson, N.: Very high-frequency and seasonal cave atmosphere PCO2 variability: implications for stalagmite growth and oxygen isotope-based paleoclimate records, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 272, 118–129, 2008.
Bar-Matthews, M., Ayalon, A., and Kaufman, A.: Late Quaternary paleoclimate in the eastern Mediterranean region from stable isotope analysis of speleothems at Soreq Cave, Israel, Quatern. Res., 47, 155–168, 1997.
Barton, H. A. and Northup, D. E.: Geomicobiology in cave environments: past, current and future perspectives, Journal of Cave and Karst Studies, 69, 163–178, 2007.
Barton, H. A., Spear, J. R., and Pace, N. R.: Microbial life in the underworld: biogenicity in secondary mineral formations, Geomicrobiol. J., 18, 359–368, 2001.
Baskar, S., Baskar, R., Mauclaire, L., and McKenzie, J. A.: Role of microbial community in stalctite formation, Sahastradhara caves, Dehradun, India, Current Science, 88, 1305–1308, 2005.
Baskar, S., Baskar, R., Mauclaire, L., and McKenzie, J. A.: Microbially induced calcite precipitation by culture experiments – possible origin for stalactites in Sahastradhara, Dehradun, India, Current Science, 90, 58–64, 2006.
Baskar, S., Baskar, R., and Kaushik, A.: Evidences for microbial involvement in the genesis of speleothem carbonates, Borra Caves, Visakhapatnam, India, Current Science, 92, 350–355, 2007.
Baskar, S., Baskar, R., Lee, N., and Theophilus, P. K.: Speleothems from Mawsmai and Krem Phyllut caves, Meghalaya, India: some evidences on biogenic activities, Environ. Geol., 57, 1169–1186, 2009.
Boston, P. J., Spilde, M. N., Northup, D. E., Melim, L. A., Soroka, D. S., Kleina, L. G., Lavoie, K. H., Hose, L. D., Mallory, L. A., Dahm, C. N., Crossey, L. J., and Schelble, R. T.: Cave biosignatures suites: Microbes, minerals, and Mars, Astrobiol. J., 1, 25–55, 2001.
Bourges, F., Genthon, P., Mangini, A., and D'Hulst, D.: Microclimates of L'Aven D'Orgnac and other French limestone caves (Chauvet, Esparros, Marsoulas), Int. J. Climatol., 26, 1651–1670, 2006.
Breitenbach, S.: High-resolution isotope measurements (δ18O and δ13C) from Siberian stalagmites as potential palaeoclimatic proxies [MSc. thesis], Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, 72 pp., 2004.
Breitenbach, S. F. M. and Bernasconi, S. M.: Carbon and oxygen isotope analysis of small carbonate samples (20 to 100 μg) with a GasBench II preparation device, Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom., 25, 1910–1914, 2011.
Brezgunov, B. S., Yesikov, A. D., Ferronsky, V. I., and Sal'nova, L. V.: Spatial-time variations of stable oxygen isotope composition in precipitation and river waters of northern Eurasia and their relationship to temperature changes, Vodnye Resourcy, 25, 99–104, 1998 [in Russian].
Brook, G. A., Burney, D. A., and Cowart, B. J.: Desert paleoenvironmental data from cave speleothems with examples from the Chihuahuan, Somali-Chalbi, and Kalhari deserts, Paleogeogr. Paleoclimatol. Paleoecol., 76, 311–329, 1990.
Broughton, P. L.: Environmental implications of competitive growth fabrics in stalactitic carbonate, Internat. J. Speleol., 13, 31–41, 1983a.
Broughton, P. L.: Lattice deformation and curvature in stalactitic carbonate, Internat. J. Speleol., 13, 19–30, 1983b.
Broughton, P. L.: Secondary origin of the radial fabric in stalactitic carbonate, Internat. J. Speleol., 13, 43–66, 1983c.
Cacchio, P., Contento, R., Ercole, C., Cappucio, G., Martinez, M. P., and Lepidi, A.: Involvement of microorganisms in the formation of carbonate speleothems in the Cervo Cave (l'Aquila-Italy), Geomicrobiol. J., 21, 497–509, 2004.
Caldwell, D. E. and Caldwell, S. J.: Fine structure of in situ microbial deposits, Geomicrobiol. J., 2, 39–53, 1980.
Cañaveras, J. C., Sanchez-Moral, S., Soler, V., and Saiz-Jimenez, C.: Microorganisms and microbially induced fabrics in cave walls, Geomicrobiol. J., 18, 223–240, 2001.
Chafetz, H. S., Akdim, B., Julia, R., and Reid, A.: Mn- and Fe-rich black travertine shrubs: bacterially (and nanobacterially) induced precipitates, J. Sediment. Res., 68, 404–412, 1998.
Chivas, A. R., Torgersen, T., and Polach, H. A.: Growth rates and Holocene development of stromatolites from Shark Bay, Western Australia, Austral. J. Earth Sci., 37, 113–121, 1990.
Cox, G., James, J. M., Leggett, K. E. A., and Osborne, R. A. L.: Cyanobacterially deposited speleothems: subaerial stromatolites, Geomicrobiol. J., 7, 245–252, 1989a.
Cox, G., James, J. M., Leggett, K. E. A., and Osborne, R. A. L.:, Stromatolitic crayfish-like stalagmites, Bristol Speleological Society, Proceedings, 18, 339–358, 1989b.
Cruz, Jr., F. W., Burns, S. J., Karmann, I., Sharp, W. D., Vuille, M., and Ferrari, J. A.: A stalagmite record of changes in atmospheric circulation and soil processes in the Brazilian subtropics during the Late Pleistocene, Quat. Sci. Rev., 25, 2749–2761, 2006.
Cunningham, K. I., Northup, D. E., Pollastro, R.M., Wright, W. G., and Larock, E. J.: Bacteria, fungi and biokarst in Lechuguilla Cave, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico, Environ. Geol., 25, 2–8, 1995.
Decho, A. W.: Microbial exopolymer secretions in ocean environments: their role(s) in food webs and marine processes. In: Barnes M (ed) Oceanography marine biology annual review, Aberdeen University Press, Aberdeen, 73–153, 1990.
Denniston, R. F., Gonzalez, L. A., Baker, R. G., Asmerom, Y., Reagan, M. K., Edwards, R. L., and Alexander, C. E.:. Speleothem evidence for a sharp and long-term prairie-forest ecotone at the northeast border of the middle Holocene prairie peninsula, The Holocene, 9, 671–676, 1999.
Denniston, R. F., DuPree, M., Dorale, J. A., Asmerom, Y., Polyak, V. J., and Carpenter, S. J.: Episodes of late Holocene aridity recorded by stalagmites from Devil's Icebox Cave, central Missouri, USA, Quatern. Res., 68, 45–52, 2007.
Díaz-Visurraga, J., Cárdenas, G., and García, A.: Morphological changes induced in bacteria as evaluated by electron microscopy, in: Microscopy: Science, Technology, Applications and Education, edited by: A. Méndez-Vilas and J. Díaz, 307–315, 2010.
Dorale, J. A., Gonzalez, L. A., Reagan, M. K., Pickett, D. A., Murrell, M. T. and Baker, R. G.: A high-resolution record of Holocene climate change in speleothem calcite from Cold Water Cave, northeast Iowa, Science, 258, 1626–1630, 1992.
Dupraz, C., Visscher, P. T., Baumgartner, L. K, and Reid, R. P.: Microbe-mineral interactions: early CaCO3 precipitation in a Recent hypersaline lake (Eleuthera Islands, Bahamas), Sedimentology, 51, 745–765, 2004.
Dupraz, C., Reid, R. P., Braissant, O., Decho, A. W., Norman, R. S., and Visscher, P. T.: Processes of Carbonate Precipitation in Modern Microbial Mats, Earth Sci. Rev., 6, 141–162, 2009.
Efremova, T. T., Efremov, S. P., Koutsenogii, K. P., and Peresedov, V. F.: Biogeochemical migration of metals of the iron group during the peat bog accumulation in the eutrophic marsh of Western Siberia, J. Radioanalyt. Nucl. Chem., 2417, 4109–424, 2001.
Egorov, K. N.: Mikhail M. Odintsov's contribution to development of the mineral and raw materials complex of the Eastern Siberia, Geodynam. Tectonophys. 2, 325–340, 2011.
Emerson, E. and Moyer, C. : Isolation and characterization of novel iron-oxidizing bacteria that grow at circumneutral pH, Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 63, 4784–4792, 1997.
Engel, A. S.: Observations on the biodiversity of sulfidic karst habitats, J. Cave Karst Studies, 69, 187–206, 2007.
Evans, M. E. and Heller, F.: Environmental Magnetism: Principles and Applications of Enviromagnetics, San Diego, Academic Press, p. 299, 2004.
Filippov, A. G.: Speleogenesis of the Botovskaya Cave, Eastern Siberia, Russia, in: Speleogenesis: Evolution of Karst Aquifers, edited by: Klimchouk, A., Ford, D., Palmer, A., and Dreybrodt, W., National Speleological Society, 282–286, 2000.
Font, E., Nédélec, A., Trindade, R. I. F., and Moreau, C.: Fast or slow melting of the Marinoan snowball Earth? The cap dolostone record, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 295, 215–225, 2010.
Forti, P.: Biogenic spelethems: an overview, Internat. J. Speleol., 30, 39–56, 2001.
Fortin, D. and Ferris, F. G.: Precipitation of iron, silica, and sulfate on bacterial cell surfaces, Geomicrobiol. J., 15, 309–324, 1998.
Frisia, S., Fairchild, I. J., Fohlmeister, J., Miorandi, R., Spöotl, C., and Borsato, A.: Carbon massbalance modelling and carbon isotope exchange processes in dynamic caves, Geochim. Cosmochim. Ac., 75, 380–400, 2011.
Frisia, S., Borsato, A., Drysdale, R. N., Paul, B., Greig, A., and Cotte, M.: A re-evaluation of the palaeoclimatic significance of phosphorus variability in speleothems revealed by high-resolution synchrotron micro XRF mapping, Clim. Past, 8, 2039–2051, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-8-2039-2012, 2012.
Gasquez, F., Calafora, J. M., and Forti, P. : Black Mn-Fe crusts as palaeoenvironmental markers, Internat. J. Speleol., 40, 163–169, 2011.
Ghiorse, W. C.: Biology of iron-and manganese-depositing bacteria, Annu. Rev. Microbiol., 38, 515–550, 1984.
Harris, P. M., Halley, R. B., and Lukas, K. J.: Endolith microborings and their preservation in Holocene-Pleistocene (Bahama-Florida) ooids, Geology, 7, 216–220, 1979.
Hou, J. Z., Tan, M., Cheng, H., and Liu, T. S.: Stable isotope records of plant cover change and monsoon variation in the past 2200 years: evidence from laminated stalagmites in Beijing, China. Boreas 32, 304–313, 2003.
Johnson, K. R., Hu, C. Y., Belshaw, N. S., and Henderson, G. M.: Seasonal trace-element and stable-isotope variations in a Chinese speleothem: The potential for high-resolution paleomonsoon reconstruction, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 244, 394–407, 2006.
Jones, B.: Microbial activity in caves – a geological perspective, Geomicrobiol. J., 18, 1–13, 2001.
Jones, B. and Motyka, A.: Biogenic structures and micrite in stalactites from Grand Cayman Island, British West Indies, Canad. J. Earth Sci., 24, 1402–1411, 1987.
Jones, B.: Microbes in caves: agents of calcite corrosion and precipitation, in: Tufas and Speleothems: Unravelling the microbial and physical controls, edited by: Pedley, H. M. and Rogerson, M., Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 336, 7–30, 2010.
Jones, B.: Stalactite growth mediated by biofilms: example from Nani Cave, Cayman Brac, British West Indies, J. Sediment. Res., 81, 322–338, 2011.
Kadlec, J., Chadima, M., Lisa, L., Hercman, H., Osintsev, A., and Oberhänsli, H.: Clastic cave deposits in Botovskaya Cave (Eastern Siberia, Russian Federation), J. Cave Karst Studies, 70, 142–155, 2008.
Kasama, T. and Murakami, T.: The effect of microorganisms on Fe precipitation rates at neutral pH, Chem. Geol., 180, 117–128, 2001.
Kendall, A. C. and Broughton, P. L.: Origin of fabrics in speleothems composed of columnar calcite crystals, J. Sediment. Petrol., 48, 519–538, 1978.
Kowalczk, A. and Froelich, P.: Cave air ventilation and CO2 outgassing by radon-222 modeling: how fast do caves breathe? Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 289, 209–219, 2010.
Krivonogov, S. K., Takahara, H., Kuzmin, Y. V., Orlova, L. A., Jull, A. J. T., Nakamura, T., Miyoshi, N., Kawamuro, K., and Bezrukova, E. V.: Radiocarbon chronology of the late Pleistocene-Holocene paleogeographic events in Lake Baikal region (Siberia), Radiocarbon, 46, 745–754, 2004.
Lambert, W. and Aharon, P.: Controls on dissolved inorganic carbon and δ13C in cave waters from DeSoto Caverns: Implications for speleothem δ13C assessments. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 75, 753–768, 2011.
Lau, Y. L. and Liu, D.: Effect of flow rate on biofilm accumulation in open channels, Wat. Res., 27, 355–360, 1993.
Lee, C., McKenzie, J. A., and Sturn, M.: Carbon isotope fractionation and changes in flux and composition of particulate matter resulting from biological activity during a sediment trap experiment in Lake Greifen, Switzerland, Limnol. Oceanogr., 32, 83–96, 1987.
Léveillé, R. J., Fyfe, W. S., and Longstaffe, F. J.: An unusual occurrence of Ca-Mg-carbonate-silicate speleothems in basaltic caves, Kauai, Hawaii, J. Geology, 108, 613–621, 2000a.
Léveillé, R. J., Fyfe, W. S., and Longstaffe, F. J.: Geomicrobiology of carbonate-silicate microbialites from Hawaiian basaltic sea caves, Chem. Geology, 169, 339–355, 2000b.
Léveillé, R. J., Fyfe, W. S., and Longstaffe, F. J.: An isotopic and geochemical study of carbonate-clay mineralization in basaltic sea caves: abiotic versus microbial processes, Geobiology, 5, 235–249, 2007.
Luther I. and George W.: Pyrite oxidation and reduction: Molecular orbital theory considerations, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 51, 3193–3199, 1987.
Mattey D., Lowry, D., Duffet, J., Fisher, R., Hodge, E., and Frisia, S.: A 53 year seasonally resolved oxygen and carbon isotope record from a modern Gibraltar speleothem: reconstructed dripwater and relationship to local precipitations, Earth Plant. Sci. Lett., 269, 80–95, 2008.
Melim, L. A., Shinglman, K. M., Boston, P. J., Northup, D. E., Spilde, M. N., and Queen, J. M.: 2001. Evidence for microbial involvement in pool finger precipitation, Hidden Cave, New Mexico, Geomicrobiol. J., 18, 311–329, 2001.
Melim, L. A., Liescheidt, R., Northup, D. E., Spilde, M. N., Boston, P. J., and Queen, J. M.: A biosignature suite form cave pool precipitates, Cottonwood Cave, New Mexico, Astrobiology, 9, 907–917, 2009.
Mickler, P. J., Banner, J. L., Stern, L., Asmerom, Y., Edwards, R. L., and Ito, E.; Stable isotopic variations in modern tropical speleothems: Evaluating applications to paleoenvironmental reconstructions, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 68, 4381–4393, 2004.
Moses C. O., Kirk Nordstrom D., Herman J. S., and Mills A. L.: Aqueous pyrite oxidation by dissolved oxygen and by ferric iron, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 51, 1561–1571, 1987.
Mühlinghaus, C., Scholz, D., and Mangini, A.: Modelling stalagmite growth and δ13C as a function of drip interval and temperature, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 71, 2780–2790, 2007.
Mühlinghaus, C., Scholz, D., and Mangini, A.: Modelling fractionation of stable isotopes in stalagmites, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 73, 7275–7289, 2009.
Mulec, J., Kosi, G., and Vrhovsek, D.: Algae promote growth of stalagmites and stalactites in karst caves (Skocjanske jame, Slovenia), Carbonates and Evaporites, 22, 6–9, 2007.
Murray, J. W.: Iron oxides, in: Marine minerals, Mineralogical Society of America, edited by: Burns, R. G., Washington, DC, 47–98, 1979.
Northup, D. E. and Lavoie, K.: Geomicrobiology of Caves: A Review, Geomicrobiol. J., 18, 199–222, 2001.
Northup, D. E., Barns, S. M., Yu, L. E., Spilde, M. N., Schelble, R. T., Dano, K. E., Crossey, L. J., Connolly, C. A., Boston, P. J., Natvig, D. O., and Dahm, C. N.: Diverse microbial communities inhabiting ferromanganese deposits in Lechuguilla and Spider Caves, Environ. Microbiol., 5, 1071–1086, 2003.
Northup, D. E., Dahm, C. N., Melim, L. A., Spilde, M. N., Crossey, L. J., Lavoie, K. H., Mallory, L., Boston, P. J., Cunningham, K. I., and Barns, S. M.: Evidence for geomicrobiological interactions in Guadalupe (NM) Caves, J. Cave Karst Studies, 62, 80–90, 2000.
Odintsev M. M. and Serikov A. P.: Industrial perspectives of the Lensk copper sandstone deposits. Essay on the geology and raw materials in Eastern Siberia, Irkutsk, Irkutsk Oblastnoe Isdatel'stvo, 26–28, 1947 (in Russian).
Onac, B. P.: Mineralogy of speleothems from caves in the Padurea Craiului Mountains (Romania), and their palaeoclimatic significance, Cave Karst Sci., 23, 109–124, 1996.
Oster, J., Montanez, I., Guilderson, T., Sharp, W., and Banner, J.: Modeling speleothem δ13C variability in a central Sierra Nevada cave using 14C and 87Sr/86Sr, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 74, 5228–5242, 2010.
Pacton, M., Ariztegui, D., Wacey, D., Kilburn, M. R., Rollion-Bard, C., Farah, R., and Vasconcelos, C.: Going nano: a new step towards understanding the processes governing freshwater ooid formation, Geology, 40, 547–550, 2012.
Paull, C. K., Neumann, A. C., Bebout, B., Zabielski, V., and Showers, W.: Growth rate and stable isotopic character of modern stromatolites from San Salvados, Bahamas, Palaeoecology, 95, 335–344, 1992.
Peck, S. B.: Bacterial deposition of iron and manganese oxides in North American caves, Natil. Speleol. Soc. Bull., 48, 26–30, 1986.
Pellerin, A., Lacelle, D., Fortin, D., Clark, I. D., and Lauriol, B.: Microbial diversity in endostromatolites (cf. fissure calcretes) and in the surrounding permafrost landscape, Haughton impact structure region, Devon Island, Canada, Astrobiology, 9, 807–822, 2009.
Petryshyn, V. A., Corsetti, F. A., Berelson, W. M., Beaumont, W., and Lund, S. P.: Stromatolite lamination frequency, Walker Lake, Nevada: Implications for stromatolites as biosignatures, Geology, 40, 499–502, 2012.
Polyak, V. J. and Cokendolpher, J. C.: Recovery of microfossils from carbonate speleothems, Natl. Speleolog. Soc. Bull., 54, 66–68, 1992.
Polyak, V. J. and Cokendolpher, J. C.: Recovery of microfossils from carbonate speleothems, NSS Bull., 54, 66–68, 1992.
Rollion-Bard, C. and Marin-Carbonne, J.: Determination of SIMS matrix effects on oxygen isotopic compositions in carbonates, J. Analyt. Atom. Spectrom., 26, 1285–1289, 2011.
Rollion-Bard, C., Mangin, D., and Champenois, M.: Development and application of oxygen and carbon isotopic measurements of biogenic carbonates by ion microprobe, Geostandards Geoanalyt. Res., 31, 39–50, 2007.
Rossi, C., Lozano, R. P., Isanta, N., and Hellstrom, J.: Manganese stromatolites in caves: El Soplao (Cantabria, Spain), Geology, 38, 1119–1122, 2010.
Sand, W.: Microbial mechanisms of deterioration of inorganic substrates – A general mechanistic overwiew, Internat. Biodeteior. Biodegrad., 40, 183–190, 1997.
Santschi, P. H., Guo, L., Means, J. C., and Ravichandran, M.: Natural organic matter binding of trace metal and trace organic contaminants in estuaries. in: Biogeochemistry of Gulf of Mexico Estuaries, edited by: Bianchi, T. S., Pennock, J. R., and Twilley, R., Wiley, New York, 347–380, 1998.
Sanz-Montero, M. E., Rodriguez-Aranda, J. P., and Garcia del Cura, M. A.: Dolomite-silica stromatolites in Miocene lacustrine deposits from the Duero Basin, Spain : the role of organotemplates in the precipitation of dolomite, Sedimentology, 55, 729–750, 2008.
Schippers, A. and Jorgensen, B. B.: Oxidation of pyrite and iron sulfide by manganese dioxide in marine sediments, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 65, 915–922, 2001.
Schwertmann, U. and Taylor, R. M.: Iron oxides, in: Minerals in soil environments, edited by: Dixon, J. B. and Weed, S. B., Soil Science Society of America, Madison, Wis, 145–180, 1977.
Spilde, M. N., Northup, D. E., Boston, P. J., Schelble, R. T., Dano, K. E., Crossey, L. J., and Dahm, C. N.: Geomicrobiology of Cave Ferromanganese Deposits: A Field and Laboratory Investigation, Geomicrobiol. J., 22, 99–116, 2005.
Spötl, C., Fairchild, I. J., and Tooth, A. F.: Cave air control on dripwater geochemistry, Obir Caves (Austria): Implications for speleothem deposition in dynamically ventilated caves, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 69, 2451–2468, 2005.
Tebo, B. M., Ghiorse, W. C., van Waasbergen, L. G., Siering, P. L., and Caspi, R.: Bacterially mediated mineral formation: insights into manganese (II) oxidation from molecular genetic and biochemical studies, Rev. Mineral., 35, 225–266, 1997.
Tremaine, D. M., Froelich, P. N., and Wang, Y.: Speleothem calcite farmed in situ: Modern calibration of δ18O and δ13C paleoclimate proxies in a continuously-monitored natural cave system, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 75, 4929–4950, 2011.
Vaks, A., Gutareva, O. S., Breitenbach, S. F. M., Avirmed, E., Mason, A. J., Thomas, A. L., Osinzev, A. V., Kononov, A. M., and Henderson, G. M.: Speleothems reveal 500 000-year history of Siberian permafrost, Science, 340, 183–186, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1228729, 2013.
Vasconcelos, C., McKenzie, J. A., Bernasconi, S., Grujic, D., and Tien, A. J.: Microbial mediation as a possible mechanism for natural dolomite formation at low temperatures, Nature, 377, 220–222,1995
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint