Microbial influence on the kinetics of karstification ...

• Main Author: Steinhauer, Elspeth Susan
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: The University of Texas at Austin 2008
• Subjects: Karst formation; Cave formation; Karstification; Limestone; Bacteria; Lower Kane Cave; Wyoming; Kane; Sob’; Carbonic acid
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.26153/tsw/42388; https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/handle/2152/115489

The traditional model of karst and cave formation is that of carbonic acid limestone dissolution, where biologically-produced CO₂ in meteoric water reacts with and dissolves limestone. However, an alternative model has been proposed for several karst sysems where sulfide is abundant, known as sulfuric acid speleogenesis (SAS). Here, acid produced by chemoautotrophic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB) corrodes limestone while producing dissolved calcium and sulfate. Little is known about the rate of limestone dissolution due to SOB activity, or the nature of the microbe-limestone attachment and interaction. The field site for this study is Lower Kane Cave, WY, an active SAS-formed cave where rapid steam H₂S oxidation is associated with sulfur-oxidizing microbial mats. In this study, the rate of limestone dissolution due to microbial oxidation of reduced sulfur compounds was investigated using laboratory and field microcosms. Laboratory chemostat chamber experiments were designed to mimic the cave environment ...