Cyanobacterial weathering in warming periglacial sediments: implications for nutrient cycling and potential biosignatures
The cryosphere hosts a widespread microbial community, yet microbial influences on silicate weathering have been historically neglected in cold-arid deserts. Here we investigate bioweathering by a cold-tolerant cyanobacteria (Leptolyngbya glacialis) via laboratory experiments using glaciofluvial dri...
Published in: | Permafrost and Periglacial Processes |
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Language: | English |
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Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/11244/331266 https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.2133 |
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ftoklahomaunivs:oai:shareok.org:11244/331266 2023-05-15T13:51:30+02:00 Cyanobacterial weathering in warming periglacial sediments: implications for nutrient cycling and potential biosignatures Demirel-Floyd, Cansu Soreghan, Gerilyn Elwood Madden, Megan 2021-11 application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet https://hdl.handle.net/11244/331266 https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.2133 en_US eng https://hdl.handle.net/11244/331266 doi:10.1002/ppp.2133 Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ CC-BY-NC-ND Chemical weathering Astrobiology periglacial Cyanobacteria biosignatures biochemistry Antarctica Iceland Mars Article 2021 ftoklahomaunivs https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.2133 2023-01-25T21:23:06Z The cryosphere hosts a widespread microbial community, yet microbial influences on silicate weathering have been historically neglected in cold-arid deserts. Here we investigate bioweathering by a cold-tolerant cyanobacteria (Leptolyngbya glacialis) via laboratory experiments using glaciofluvial drift sediments at 12ºC, analogous to predicted future permafrost surface temperatures. Our results show 3-fold enhanced Si weathering rates in pre-weathered, mixed-lithology Antarctic biotic reactors compared to abiotic controls, indicating significant influence of microbial life on weathering. While biotic and abiotic weathering rates are similar in Icelandic sediments, neo-formed clay and Fe-(oxy)hydroxide minerals observed in association with biofilms in biotic reactors are common on Icelandic mafic minerals, similar to features observed in unprocessed Antarctic drifts. This suggests that microbes enhance weathering in systems where they must scavenge for nutrients that aren’t easily liberated via abiotic pathways; potential biosignatures may form in nutrient-rich systems as well. In both sediment types we also observed up to 4-fold higher bicarbonate concentrations in biotic reactors relative to abiotic reactors, indicating that, as warming occurs, psychrotolerant biota will enhance bicarbonate flux to the oceans, thus stimulating carbonate deposition and providing a negative feedback to rising atmospheric CO2. NSF grant #1543344 Yes Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Iceland permafrost University of Oklahoma/Oklahoma State University: SHAREOK Repository Antarctic Permafrost and Periglacial Processes |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Oklahoma/Oklahoma State University: SHAREOK Repository |
op_collection_id |
ftoklahomaunivs |
language |
English |
topic |
Chemical weathering Astrobiology periglacial Cyanobacteria biosignatures biochemistry Antarctica Iceland Mars |
spellingShingle |
Chemical weathering Astrobiology periglacial Cyanobacteria biosignatures biochemistry Antarctica Iceland Mars Demirel-Floyd, Cansu Soreghan, Gerilyn Elwood Madden, Megan Cyanobacterial weathering in warming periglacial sediments: implications for nutrient cycling and potential biosignatures |
topic_facet |
Chemical weathering Astrobiology periglacial Cyanobacteria biosignatures biochemistry Antarctica Iceland Mars |
description |
The cryosphere hosts a widespread microbial community, yet microbial influences on silicate weathering have been historically neglected in cold-arid deserts. Here we investigate bioweathering by a cold-tolerant cyanobacteria (Leptolyngbya glacialis) via laboratory experiments using glaciofluvial drift sediments at 12ºC, analogous to predicted future permafrost surface temperatures. Our results show 3-fold enhanced Si weathering rates in pre-weathered, mixed-lithology Antarctic biotic reactors compared to abiotic controls, indicating significant influence of microbial life on weathering. While biotic and abiotic weathering rates are similar in Icelandic sediments, neo-formed clay and Fe-(oxy)hydroxide minerals observed in association with biofilms in biotic reactors are common on Icelandic mafic minerals, similar to features observed in unprocessed Antarctic drifts. This suggests that microbes enhance weathering in systems where they must scavenge for nutrients that aren’t easily liberated via abiotic pathways; potential biosignatures may form in nutrient-rich systems as well. In both sediment types we also observed up to 4-fold higher bicarbonate concentrations in biotic reactors relative to abiotic reactors, indicating that, as warming occurs, psychrotolerant biota will enhance bicarbonate flux to the oceans, thus stimulating carbonate deposition and providing a negative feedback to rising atmospheric CO2. NSF grant #1543344 Yes |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Demirel-Floyd, Cansu Soreghan, Gerilyn Elwood Madden, Megan |
author_facet |
Demirel-Floyd, Cansu Soreghan, Gerilyn Elwood Madden, Megan |
author_sort |
Demirel-Floyd, Cansu |
title |
Cyanobacterial weathering in warming periglacial sediments: implications for nutrient cycling and potential biosignatures |
title_short |
Cyanobacterial weathering in warming periglacial sediments: implications for nutrient cycling and potential biosignatures |
title_full |
Cyanobacterial weathering in warming periglacial sediments: implications for nutrient cycling and potential biosignatures |
title_fullStr |
Cyanobacterial weathering in warming periglacial sediments: implications for nutrient cycling and potential biosignatures |
title_full_unstemmed |
Cyanobacterial weathering in warming periglacial sediments: implications for nutrient cycling and potential biosignatures |
title_sort |
cyanobacterial weathering in warming periglacial sediments: implications for nutrient cycling and potential biosignatures |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/11244/331266 https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.2133 |
geographic |
Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Iceland permafrost |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Iceland permafrost |
op_relation |
https://hdl.handle.net/11244/331266 doi:10.1002/ppp.2133 |
op_rights |
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY-NC-ND |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp.2133 |
container_title |
Permafrost and Periglacial Processes |
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1766255380618280960 |