Subglacial Lake Whillans microbial biogeochemistry: a synthesis of current knowledge.
Liquid water occurs below glaciers and ice sheets globally, enabling the existence of an array of aquatic microbial ecosystems. In Antarctica, large subglacial lakes are present beneath hundreds to thousands of metres of ice, and scientific interest in exploring these environments has escalated over...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | unknown |
Published: |
eScholarship, University of California
2016
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0nf2p82s |
id |
ftcdlib:oai:escholarship.org:ark:/13030/qt0nf2p82s |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftcdlib:oai:escholarship.org:ark:/13030/qt0nf2p82s 2023-05-15T13:58:41+02:00 Subglacial Lake Whillans microbial biogeochemistry: a synthesis of current knowledge. Mikucki, JA Lee, PA Ghosh, D Purcell, AM Mitchell, AC Mankoff, KD Fisher, AT Tulaczyk, S Carter, S Siegfried, MR Fricker, HA Hodson, T Coenen, J Powell, R Scherer, R Vick-Majors, T Achberger, AA Christner, BC Tranter, M WISSARD Science Team 20140290 2016-01-01 application/pdf https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0nf2p82s unknown eScholarship, University of California qt0nf2p82s https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0nf2p82s public Philosophical transactions. Series A, Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences, vol 374, iss 2059 WISSARD Science Team Bacteria Archaea Ecosystem Ice Cover Geologic Sediments Antarctic Regions Aquatic Organisms Lakes Antarctica WISSARD Whillans Ice Stream geomicrobiology microbial diversity subglacial lakes Affordable and Clean Energy Life Below Water General Science & Technology article 2016 ftcdlib 2023-02-06T18:41:26Z Liquid water occurs below glaciers and ice sheets globally, enabling the existence of an array of aquatic microbial ecosystems. In Antarctica, large subglacial lakes are present beneath hundreds to thousands of metres of ice, and scientific interest in exploring these environments has escalated over the past decade. After years of planning, the first team of scientists and engineers cleanly accessed and retrieved pristine samples from a West Antarctic subglacial lake ecosystem in January 2013. This paper reviews the findings to date on Subglacial Lake Whillans and presents new supporting data on the carbon and energy metabolism of resident microbes. The analysis of water and sediments from the lake revealed a diverse microbial community composed of bacteria and archaea that are close relatives of species known to use reduced N, S or Fe and CH4 as energy sources. The water chemistry of Subglacial Lake Whillans was dominated by weathering products from silicate minerals with a minor influence from seawater. Contributions to water chemistry from microbial sulfide oxidation and carbonation reactions were supported by genomic data. Collectively, these results provide unequivocal evidence that subglacial environments in this region of West Antarctica host active microbial ecosystems that participate in subglacial biogeochemical cycling. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica West Antarctica Whillans Ice Stream University of California: eScholarship Antarctic West Antarctica Whillans ENVELOPE(-64.250,-64.250,-84.450,-84.450) Whillans Ice Stream ENVELOPE(-145.000,-145.000,-83.667,-83.667) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of California: eScholarship |
op_collection_id |
ftcdlib |
language |
unknown |
topic |
WISSARD Science Team Bacteria Archaea Ecosystem Ice Cover Geologic Sediments Antarctic Regions Aquatic Organisms Lakes Antarctica WISSARD Whillans Ice Stream geomicrobiology microbial diversity subglacial lakes Affordable and Clean Energy Life Below Water General Science & Technology |
spellingShingle |
WISSARD Science Team Bacteria Archaea Ecosystem Ice Cover Geologic Sediments Antarctic Regions Aquatic Organisms Lakes Antarctica WISSARD Whillans Ice Stream geomicrobiology microbial diversity subglacial lakes Affordable and Clean Energy Life Below Water General Science & Technology Mikucki, JA Lee, PA Ghosh, D Purcell, AM Mitchell, AC Mankoff, KD Fisher, AT Tulaczyk, S Carter, S Siegfried, MR Fricker, HA Hodson, T Coenen, J Powell, R Scherer, R Vick-Majors, T Achberger, AA Christner, BC Tranter, M WISSARD Science Team Subglacial Lake Whillans microbial biogeochemistry: a synthesis of current knowledge. |
topic_facet |
WISSARD Science Team Bacteria Archaea Ecosystem Ice Cover Geologic Sediments Antarctic Regions Aquatic Organisms Lakes Antarctica WISSARD Whillans Ice Stream geomicrobiology microbial diversity subglacial lakes Affordable and Clean Energy Life Below Water General Science & Technology |
description |
Liquid water occurs below glaciers and ice sheets globally, enabling the existence of an array of aquatic microbial ecosystems. In Antarctica, large subglacial lakes are present beneath hundreds to thousands of metres of ice, and scientific interest in exploring these environments has escalated over the past decade. After years of planning, the first team of scientists and engineers cleanly accessed and retrieved pristine samples from a West Antarctic subglacial lake ecosystem in January 2013. This paper reviews the findings to date on Subglacial Lake Whillans and presents new supporting data on the carbon and energy metabolism of resident microbes. The analysis of water and sediments from the lake revealed a diverse microbial community composed of bacteria and archaea that are close relatives of species known to use reduced N, S or Fe and CH4 as energy sources. The water chemistry of Subglacial Lake Whillans was dominated by weathering products from silicate minerals with a minor influence from seawater. Contributions to water chemistry from microbial sulfide oxidation and carbonation reactions were supported by genomic data. Collectively, these results provide unequivocal evidence that subglacial environments in this region of West Antarctica host active microbial ecosystems that participate in subglacial biogeochemical cycling. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Mikucki, JA Lee, PA Ghosh, D Purcell, AM Mitchell, AC Mankoff, KD Fisher, AT Tulaczyk, S Carter, S Siegfried, MR Fricker, HA Hodson, T Coenen, J Powell, R Scherer, R Vick-Majors, T Achberger, AA Christner, BC Tranter, M WISSARD Science Team |
author_facet |
Mikucki, JA Lee, PA Ghosh, D Purcell, AM Mitchell, AC Mankoff, KD Fisher, AT Tulaczyk, S Carter, S Siegfried, MR Fricker, HA Hodson, T Coenen, J Powell, R Scherer, R Vick-Majors, T Achberger, AA Christner, BC Tranter, M WISSARD Science Team |
author_sort |
Mikucki, JA |
title |
Subglacial Lake Whillans microbial biogeochemistry: a synthesis of current knowledge. |
title_short |
Subglacial Lake Whillans microbial biogeochemistry: a synthesis of current knowledge. |
title_full |
Subglacial Lake Whillans microbial biogeochemistry: a synthesis of current knowledge. |
title_fullStr |
Subglacial Lake Whillans microbial biogeochemistry: a synthesis of current knowledge. |
title_full_unstemmed |
Subglacial Lake Whillans microbial biogeochemistry: a synthesis of current knowledge. |
title_sort |
subglacial lake whillans microbial biogeochemistry: a synthesis of current knowledge. |
publisher |
eScholarship, University of California |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0nf2p82s |
op_coverage |
20140290 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-64.250,-64.250,-84.450,-84.450) ENVELOPE(-145.000,-145.000,-83.667,-83.667) |
geographic |
Antarctic West Antarctica Whillans Whillans Ice Stream |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic West Antarctica Whillans Whillans Ice Stream |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica West Antarctica Whillans Ice Stream |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica West Antarctica Whillans Ice Stream |
op_source |
Philosophical transactions. Series A, Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences, vol 374, iss 2059 |
op_relation |
qt0nf2p82s https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0nf2p82s |
op_rights |
public |
_version_ |
1766267029105410048 |