Aerobiology in High Latitudes: Evidence of Bacteria Acting as Tracer of Warm Air Mass Advection reaching Northern Antarctic Peninsula

Abstract Despite the extent use of geochemical tracers to track warm air mass origin reaching the Antarctic continent, we present here evidences that microorganisms being transported by the atmosphere and deposited in fresh snow layers of Antarctic ice sheets do act as tracers of air mass advection...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências
Main Authors: MARCIO CATALDO, HEITOR EVANGELISTA, JOSÉ AUGUSTO A. PEREIRA, ÁLVARO LUIZ BERTHO, VIVIAN PELLIZARI, EMANUELE KUHN, MARCELO SAMPAIO, KENYA D. DA CUNHA, ALEXANDRE S. ALENCAR, DAFNE ANJOS, CESAR AMARAL
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Academia Brasileira de Ciências 2023
Subjects:
extremophiles
atmospheric transport
Antarctica
atmospheric tracers
aerobiology
Science
Q
Antarctic
Antarctic Peninsula
Detroit
King George Island
Patagonia
The Antarctic
Wanda Glacier
Antarc*
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1590/0001-3765202320210807
https://doaj.org/article/2d9b86dd313a471d8c1e5234cda5dea3
Description
Summary:Abstract Despite the extent use of geochemical tracers to track warm air mass origin reaching the Antarctic continent, we present here evidences that microorganisms being transported by the atmosphere and deposited in fresh snow layers of Antarctic ice sheets do act as tracers of air mass advection from the Southern Patagonia region to Northern Antarctic Peninsula. We combined atmospheric circulation data with microorganism content in snow/firn samples collected in two sites of the Antarctic Peninsula (King George Island/Wanda glacier and Detroit Plateau) by using flow cytometer quantification. In addition, we cultivated, isolated and submitted samples to molecular sequencing to precise species classification. Viable gram-positive bacteria were found and recovered in different snow/firn layers samples, among dead and living cells, their number concentration was compared to northern wind component, stable isotopes of oxygen, d18O, and the concentration of crustal elements (Fe, Ti and Ca). Use of satellite images combined with air mass back-trajectory analysis obtained from the NOAA/ HYSPLIT model corroborated the results.

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