Impact-induced microbial endolithic habitats
Asteroid and comet impacts on Earth are commonly viewed as agents of ecosystem destruction, be it on local or global scales. However, for some microbial communities, impacts may represent an opportunity for habitat formation as some substrates are rendered more suitable for colonization when process...
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ftunivarizonaojs:oai:journals.uair.arizona.edu:article/14654 2023-05-15T13:42:28+02:00 Impact-induced microbial endolithic habitats Cockell, C. S. Lee, P. Osinski, G. Horneck, G. Broady, P. 2002-01-01 application/pdf https://journals.uair.arizona.edu/index.php/maps/article/view/14654 eng eng Meteoritics & Planetary Science Archives https://journals.uair.arizona.edu/index.php/maps/article/view/14654/14626 https://journals.uair.arizona.edu/index.php/maps/article/view/14654 Meteoritics & Planetary Science Archives; Vol 37, No 10 (2002); 1287-1298 1945-5100 1086-9379 Haughton;Nunavut;Impact breccia;Impact crater Canada;Craters info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion Peer-reviewed Article 2002 ftunivarizonaojs 2020-11-14T17:53:01Z Asteroid and comet impacts on Earth are commonly viewed as agents of ecosystem destruction, be it on local or global scales. However, for some microbial communities, impacts may represent an opportunity for habitat formation as some substrates are rendered more suitable for colonization when processed by impacts. We describe how heavily shocked gneissic crystalline basement rocks exposed at the Haughton impact structure, Devon Island, Nunavut, Arctic Canada, are hosts to endolithic photosynthetic microorganisms in significantly greater abundance than lesser-shocked or unshocked gneisses. Two factors contribute to this enhancement: (a) increased porosity due to impact fracturing and differential mineral vaporization, and (b) increased translucence due to the selective vaporization of opaque mineral phases. Using biological ultraviolet radiation dosimetry, and by measuring the concentrations of photoprotective compounds, we demonstrate that a covering of 0.8 mm of shocked gneiss can provide substantial protection from ultraviolet radiation, reducing the inactivation of Bacillus subtilis spores by 2 orders of magnitude. The colonisation of the shocked habitat represents a potential mechanism for pioneer microorganisms to invade an impact structure in the earliest stages of post-impact primary succession. The communities are analogous to the endolithic communities associated with sedimentary rocks in Antarctica, but because they occur in shocked crystalline rocks, they illustrate a mechanism for the creation of microbial habitats on planetary surfaces that do not have exposed sedimentary units. This might have been the case on early Earth. The data have implications for the microhabitats in which biological signatures might be sought on Mars. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica Arctic Devon Island Nunavut Journals at the University of Arizona Arctic Canada Devon Island ENVELOPE(-88.000,-88.000,75.252,75.252) Nunavut |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Journals at the University of Arizona |
op_collection_id |
ftunivarizonaojs |
language |
English |
topic |
Haughton;Nunavut;Impact breccia;Impact crater Canada;Craters |
spellingShingle |
Haughton;Nunavut;Impact breccia;Impact crater Canada;Craters Cockell, C. S. Lee, P. Osinski, G. Horneck, G. Broady, P. Impact-induced microbial endolithic habitats |
topic_facet |
Haughton;Nunavut;Impact breccia;Impact crater Canada;Craters |
description |
Asteroid and comet impacts on Earth are commonly viewed as agents of ecosystem destruction, be it on local or global scales. However, for some microbial communities, impacts may represent an opportunity for habitat formation as some substrates are rendered more suitable for colonization when processed by impacts. We describe how heavily shocked gneissic crystalline basement rocks exposed at the Haughton impact structure, Devon Island, Nunavut, Arctic Canada, are hosts to endolithic photosynthetic microorganisms in significantly greater abundance than lesser-shocked or unshocked gneisses. Two factors contribute to this enhancement: (a) increased porosity due to impact fracturing and differential mineral vaporization, and (b) increased translucence due to the selective vaporization of opaque mineral phases. Using biological ultraviolet radiation dosimetry, and by measuring the concentrations of photoprotective compounds, we demonstrate that a covering of 0.8 mm of shocked gneiss can provide substantial protection from ultraviolet radiation, reducing the inactivation of Bacillus subtilis spores by 2 orders of magnitude. The colonisation of the shocked habitat represents a potential mechanism for pioneer microorganisms to invade an impact structure in the earliest stages of post-impact primary succession. The communities are analogous to the endolithic communities associated with sedimentary rocks in Antarctica, but because they occur in shocked crystalline rocks, they illustrate a mechanism for the creation of microbial habitats on planetary surfaces that do not have exposed sedimentary units. This might have been the case on early Earth. The data have implications for the microhabitats in which biological signatures might be sought on Mars. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Cockell, C. S. Lee, P. Osinski, G. Horneck, G. Broady, P. |
author_facet |
Cockell, C. S. Lee, P. Osinski, G. Horneck, G. Broady, P. |
author_sort |
Cockell, C. S. |
title |
Impact-induced microbial endolithic habitats |
title_short |
Impact-induced microbial endolithic habitats |
title_full |
Impact-induced microbial endolithic habitats |
title_fullStr |
Impact-induced microbial endolithic habitats |
title_full_unstemmed |
Impact-induced microbial endolithic habitats |
title_sort |
impact-induced microbial endolithic habitats |
publisher |
Meteoritics & Planetary Science Archives |
publishDate |
2002 |
url |
https://journals.uair.arizona.edu/index.php/maps/article/view/14654 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-88.000,-88.000,75.252,75.252) |
geographic |
Arctic Canada Devon Island Nunavut |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Canada Devon Island Nunavut |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica Arctic Devon Island Nunavut |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica Arctic Devon Island Nunavut |
op_source |
Meteoritics & Planetary Science Archives; Vol 37, No 10 (2002); 1287-1298 1945-5100 1086-9379 |
op_relation |
https://journals.uair.arizona.edu/index.php/maps/article/view/14654/14626 https://journals.uair.arizona.edu/index.php/maps/article/view/14654 |
_version_ |
1766168177917558784 |