Microbial trace-fossil formation, biogenous, and abiotic weathering in the Antarctic cold desert

In the Antarctic cold desert (Ross Desert), the survival of the cryptoendolithic microorganisms that colonize the near-surface layer of porous sandstone rocks depends on a precarious equilibrium of biological and geological factors. An unfavorable shift of this equilibrium results in death, and this...

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Main Authors: Friedmann, E. Imre, Weed, Rebecca
Format: Other/Unknown Material
Language:unknown
Published: 1987
Subjects:
55
Antarctic
The Antarctic
Antarc*
Online Access:http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19870054166
id ftnasantrs:oai:casi.ntrs.nasa.gov:19870054166
record_format openpolar
spelling ftnasantrs:oai:casi.ntrs.nasa.gov:19870054166 2023-05-15T14:01:08+02:00 Microbial trace-fossil formation, biogenous, and abiotic weathering in the Antarctic cold desert Friedmann, E. Imre Weed, Rebecca Unclassified, Unlimited, Publicly available May 8, 1987 http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19870054166 unknown http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19870054166 Accession ID: 87A41440 Copyright Other Sources 55 Science; 236; 703-705 1987 ftnasantrs 2012-02-15T17:14:58Z In the Antarctic cold desert (Ross Desert), the survival of the cryptoendolithic microorganisms that colonize the near-surface layer of porous sandstone rocks depends on a precarious equilibrium of biological and geological factors. An unfavorable shift of this equilibrium results in death, and this may be followed by formation of trace fossils that preserve the characteristic iron-leaching pattern caused by microbial activity. Similar microbial trace fossils may exist in the geological record. If life ever arose on early Mars, similar processes may have occurred there and left recognizable traces. Other/Unknown Material Antarc* Antarctic NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) Antarctic The Antarctic
institution Open Polar
collection NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
op_collection_id ftnasantrs
language unknown
topic 55
spellingShingle 55
Friedmann, E. Imre
Weed, Rebecca
Microbial trace-fossil formation, biogenous, and abiotic weathering in the Antarctic cold desert
topic_facet 55
description In the Antarctic cold desert (Ross Desert), the survival of the cryptoendolithic microorganisms that colonize the near-surface layer of porous sandstone rocks depends on a precarious equilibrium of biological and geological factors. An unfavorable shift of this equilibrium results in death, and this may be followed by formation of trace fossils that preserve the characteristic iron-leaching pattern caused by microbial activity. Similar microbial trace fossils may exist in the geological record. If life ever arose on early Mars, similar processes may have occurred there and left recognizable traces.
format Other/Unknown Material
author Friedmann, E. Imre
Weed, Rebecca
author_facet Friedmann, E. Imre
Weed, Rebecca
author_sort Friedmann, E. Imre
title Microbial trace-fossil formation, biogenous, and abiotic weathering in the Antarctic cold desert
title_short Microbial trace-fossil formation, biogenous, and abiotic weathering in the Antarctic cold desert
title_full Microbial trace-fossil formation, biogenous, and abiotic weathering in the Antarctic cold desert
title_fullStr Microbial trace-fossil formation, biogenous, and abiotic weathering in the Antarctic cold desert
title_full_unstemmed Microbial trace-fossil formation, biogenous, and abiotic weathering in the Antarctic cold desert
title_sort microbial trace-fossil formation, biogenous, and abiotic weathering in the antarctic cold desert
publishDate 1987
url http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19870054166
op_coverage Unclassified, Unlimited, Publicly available
geographic Antarctic
The Antarctic
geographic_facet Antarctic
The Antarctic
genre Antarc*
Antarctic
genre_facet Antarc*
Antarctic
op_source Other Sources
op_relation http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19870054166
Accession ID: 87A41440
op_rights Copyright
_version_ 1766270736847077376

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