Barite (BaSO 4 ) biomineralization at Flybye Springs, a cold sulphur spring system in Canada's Northwest Territories
The Flybye Springs, Northwest Territories, consist of 10 active vents and numerous small seeps that discharge sulphide- and barium-rich spring waters at an average temperature 8.5 °C. Oxidation of sulphide to sulphate drives precipitation of stellate and platy barite microcrystals in the proximal fl...
Published in: | Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Canadian Science Publishing
2007
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/e06-126 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/e06-126 |
id |
crcansciencepubl:10.1139/e06-126 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
crcansciencepubl:10.1139/e06-126 2024-06-23T07:55:42+00:00 Barite (BaSO 4 ) biomineralization at Flybye Springs, a cold sulphur spring system in Canada's Northwest Territories Bonny, Sandy M Jones, Brian 2007 http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/e06-126 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/e06-126 en eng Canadian Science Publishing http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences volume 44, issue 6, page 835-856 ISSN 0008-4077 1480-3313 journal-article 2007 crcansciencepubl https://doi.org/10.1139/e06-126 2024-06-06T04:11:17Z The Flybye Springs, Northwest Territories, consist of 10 active vents and numerous small seeps that discharge sulphide- and barium-rich spring waters at an average temperature 8.5 °C. Oxidation of sulphide to sulphate drives precipitation of stellate and platy barite microcrystals in the proximal flow paths. Downstream, and in vent- and tributary-fed ponds, barite is precipitated among streamer and mat forming colonies of sulphur-tolerant microbes, including Thiothrix, Beggiatoa, Thioploca, Chromatium, Oscillatoria, fungi (dominantly Penicillium), and unicellular sulphate reducing bacteria. These microbes mediate barite saturation by adjusting redox gradients and via passive adsorption of barium ions to cell surfaces and extracellular polymeric substances. Passive biomineralization produces barite laminae in floating microbial mats, nanometric coatings, and micrometric encrustations around microbial cells and filaments, and local permineralization of Thiothrix, Beggiatoa, and Oscillatoria outer cell walls. Intracellular barium enrichment and (or) metabolic sulphur oxidation may be important to "active biomineralization" that produces nanometric barite globules on the tips of fungal hyphae, barite-filled cell cavities in Beggiatoa and Thiothrix, and baritized sulphur globules. Degradation of biomineralized cells generates detrital "microfossils," including barite tunnels, layered cylinders, solid cylindrical grains and chains of barite beads. The diversity of inorganic and biomineralized barite in the Flybye Springs flow path highlights the influence of ambient chemistry, microbial metabolism, and cellular structure on barite solubility and on the taphonomy of microfossils preserved in barite. Article in Journal/Newspaper Northwest Territories Canadian Science Publishing Northwest Territories Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 44 6 835 856 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Canadian Science Publishing |
op_collection_id |
crcansciencepubl |
language |
English |
description |
The Flybye Springs, Northwest Territories, consist of 10 active vents and numerous small seeps that discharge sulphide- and barium-rich spring waters at an average temperature 8.5 °C. Oxidation of sulphide to sulphate drives precipitation of stellate and platy barite microcrystals in the proximal flow paths. Downstream, and in vent- and tributary-fed ponds, barite is precipitated among streamer and mat forming colonies of sulphur-tolerant microbes, including Thiothrix, Beggiatoa, Thioploca, Chromatium, Oscillatoria, fungi (dominantly Penicillium), and unicellular sulphate reducing bacteria. These microbes mediate barite saturation by adjusting redox gradients and via passive adsorption of barium ions to cell surfaces and extracellular polymeric substances. Passive biomineralization produces barite laminae in floating microbial mats, nanometric coatings, and micrometric encrustations around microbial cells and filaments, and local permineralization of Thiothrix, Beggiatoa, and Oscillatoria outer cell walls. Intracellular barium enrichment and (or) metabolic sulphur oxidation may be important to "active biomineralization" that produces nanometric barite globules on the tips of fungal hyphae, barite-filled cell cavities in Beggiatoa and Thiothrix, and baritized sulphur globules. Degradation of biomineralized cells generates detrital "microfossils," including barite tunnels, layered cylinders, solid cylindrical grains and chains of barite beads. The diversity of inorganic and biomineralized barite in the Flybye Springs flow path highlights the influence of ambient chemistry, microbial metabolism, and cellular structure on barite solubility and on the taphonomy of microfossils preserved in barite. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bonny, Sandy M Jones, Brian |
spellingShingle |
Bonny, Sandy M Jones, Brian Barite (BaSO 4 ) biomineralization at Flybye Springs, a cold sulphur spring system in Canada's Northwest Territories |
author_facet |
Bonny, Sandy M Jones, Brian |
author_sort |
Bonny, Sandy M |
title |
Barite (BaSO 4 ) biomineralization at Flybye Springs, a cold sulphur spring system in Canada's Northwest Territories |
title_short |
Barite (BaSO 4 ) biomineralization at Flybye Springs, a cold sulphur spring system in Canada's Northwest Territories |
title_full |
Barite (BaSO 4 ) biomineralization at Flybye Springs, a cold sulphur spring system in Canada's Northwest Territories |
title_fullStr |
Barite (BaSO 4 ) biomineralization at Flybye Springs, a cold sulphur spring system in Canada's Northwest Territories |
title_full_unstemmed |
Barite (BaSO 4 ) biomineralization at Flybye Springs, a cold sulphur spring system in Canada's Northwest Territories |
title_sort |
barite (baso 4 ) biomineralization at flybye springs, a cold sulphur spring system in canada's northwest territories |
publisher |
Canadian Science Publishing |
publishDate |
2007 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/e06-126 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/e06-126 |
geographic |
Northwest Territories |
geographic_facet |
Northwest Territories |
genre |
Northwest Territories |
genre_facet |
Northwest Territories |
op_source |
Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences volume 44, issue 6, page 835-856 ISSN 0008-4077 1480-3313 |
op_rights |
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1139/e06-126 |
container_title |
Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences |
container_volume |
44 |
container_issue |
6 |
container_start_page |
835 |
op_container_end_page |
856 |
_version_ |
1802648372850458624 |