Biogeochemical indicators of buried mineralization under cover, Talbot VMS Cu–Zn prospect, Manitoba

Leslie, Karla; Geffen, Pim W.G. van; MacFarlane, Bill; Oates, Christopher J.; Kyser, T. Kurt; Fowle, David A.

doi:10.1016/j.apgeochem.2013.07.013

Cited by 10 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 59 publications

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“…These sites are highly abundant, and typical examples include soils overlying/surrounding buried mineral deposits, where physical and (bio)geochemical cycling has led to the formation of metal enrichment zones (16). A recent Canadian study has shown that distinct microbial community assemblages were present in the glacial cover overlying a buried volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposit (17). In this study, a strong correlation between Zn and Cu concentrations, total biomass, and abundances of methanotrophic bacteria was observed (17).…”

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confidence: 49%

“…A recent Canadian study has shown that distinct microbial community assemblages were present in the glacial cover overlying a buried volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposit (17). In this study, a strong correlation between Zn and Cu concentrations, total biomass, and abundances of methanotrophic bacteria was observed (17). Using culture-based approaches, correlations between abundances of Bacillus cereus spores and the presence of Au and its pathfinder elements (i.e., As, Ag, Bi, Cu, Mo, Se, and Te) in soils overlying Au deposits in Belgium, the United States, and Australia have been observed (18)(19)(20).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Geogenic Factors as Drivers of Microbial Community Diversity in Soils Overlying Polymetallic Deposits

Reith

Zammit

Pohrib

et al. 2015

Appl Environ Microbiol

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dThis study shows that the geogenic factors landform, lithology, and underlying mineral deposits (expressed by elevated metal concentrations in overlying soils) are key drivers of microbial community diversity in naturally metal-rich Australian soils with different land uses, i.e., agriculture versus natural bushland. One hundred sixty-eight soil samples were obtained from two metal-rich provinces in Australia, i.e., the Fifield Au-Pt field (New South Wales) and the Hillside Cu-Au-U rare-earth-element (REE) deposit (South Australia). Soils were analyzed using three-domain multiplex terminal-restriction-fragment-length-polymorphism (M-TRFLP) and PhyloChip microarrays. Geogenic factors were determined using field-mapping techniques and analyses of >50 geochemical parameters. At Fifield, microbial communities differed significantly with geogenic factors and equally with land use (P < 0.05). At Hillside, communities in surface soils (0.03-to 0.2-m depth) differed significantly with landform and land use (P < 0.05). Communities in deeper soils (>0.2 m) differed significantly with lithology and mineral deposit (P < 0.05). Across both sites, elevated metal contents in soils overlying mineral deposits were selective for a range of bacterial taxa, most importantly Acidobacteria, Bacilli, Betaproteobacteria, and Epsilonproteobacteria. In conclusion, long-term geogenic factors can be just as important as land use in determining soil microbial community diversity. Determining the drivers of microbial community composition in soils is challenging, because soils are complex ecosystems containing numerous ecological niches. This results in an immense diversity, with up to thousands of taxa per gram of soil (1). Land use, climate, vegetation, soil type, and anthropogenic pollution are strongly linked to soil microbial community structures, functions, and activities at many sites (2-4). In particular, agricultural practices are known to drive differences in soil microbial communities (5). Influences of geogenic factors, e.g., landform, underlying lithologies, and mineral deposits on soil microbial communities, have received little attention. However, three studies of soils from Switzerland and Nepal have shown that geological/mineralogical factors can significantly affect species assemblages and functions (6-8).A primary goal of geomicrobiological research is to link microbial communities and metal cycling in metallogenic environments and to determine how communities are structured due to metalassociated drivers (9). Microorganisms play a pivotal role in the biogeochemical cycling of many metals, particularly those essential for cell function, e.g., Co, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, V, W, and Zn, and those oxidized or reduced in catabolic reactions to gain metabolic energy, e.g., As, Fe, Mn, Mo, Sb, Se, Sn, Te, U, and V (10). Therefore, metal-rich environments are useful model systems allowing links between microbial taxa and geochemical parameters to be identified (11).To date, mine tailing and acid mine drainage sites have been ...

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confidence: 49%

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confidence: 99%

Geogenic Factors as Drivers of Microbial Community Diversity in Soils Overlying Polymetallic Deposits

Reith

Zammit

Pohrib

et al. 2015

Appl Environ Microbiol

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“…There are many different types of biosignatures that may potentially be produced by microorganisms in subsurface environments, including biominerals, textures, microbial body fossils, macroscopic biopatterns, organic and inorganic chemical compounds, and isotopes. Potential biosignatures include minerals precipitated as a direct result of biological activity ( e.g., Fe oxides, sulfides), preservation of microbial structures such as biofilms by precipitating minerals such as carbonates filling fractures (Pedersen et al, 1997 ), organic compounds produced by biological activity ( e.g., lipids, amino acids), textures indicative of microbial activity ( e.g., microtubules; Fisk et al, 1998 ; Furnes et al, 2004 ), changes in trace element distributions (Leslie et al, 2013 , 2014 ), and isotopic composition of organic matter, the breakdown products of organic matter, or minerals ( e.g., Alt and Shanks, 1998 ). In caves and lava tubes, various mineral textures, microstromatolitic textures, and isotopic signatures in minerals and organic matter have been identified as biosignatures (Boston et al, 2001 ; Léveillé et al, 2007 ).…”

Section: Mars Analog Environments On Earthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biosignature Preservation and Detection in Mars Analog Environments

et al. 2017

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This review of material relevant to the Conference on Biosignature Preservation and Detection in Mars Analog Environments summarizes the meeting materials and discussions and is further expanded upon by detailed references to the published literature. From this diverse source material, there is a detailed discussion on the habitability and biosignature preservation potential of five primary analog environments: hydrothermal spring systems, subaqueous environments, subaerial environments, subsurface environments, and iron-rich systems. Within the context of exploring past habitable environments on Mars, challenges common to all of these key environments are laid out, followed by a focused discussion for each environment regarding challenges to orbital and ground-based observations and sample selection. This leads into a short section on how these challenges could influence our strategies and priorities for the astrobiological exploration of Mars. Finally, a listing of urgent needs and future research highlights key elements such as development of instrumentation as well as continued exploration into how Mars may have evolved differently from Earth and what that might mean for biosignature preservation and detection. Key Words: Biosignature preservation—Biosignature detection—Mars analog environments—Conference report—Astrobiological exploration. Astrobiology 17, 363–400.

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“…Vegetation patterns, however, are confounded by many variables 34 , 35 , and thus rarely offer clear indications of buried mineral deposits. Use of biological surveys in exploration has been extended to soil microbial communities 36 – 40 , but the complexity of these communities is intractable through the approaches of classical microbiology, while early-generation molecular approaches lacked throughput 41 – 43 . Now, however, even the most complex microbial communities, like those found in soils, can be resolved through semi-quantitative to quantitative sequence-based analyses 12 , 44 , 45 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

DNA sequencing, microbial indicators, and the discovery of buried kimberlites

Simister,

Iulianella Phillips,

Wickham

et al. 2023

Commun Earth Environ

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Population growth and technological advancements are placing growing demand on mineral resources. New and innovative exploration technologies that improve detection of deeply buried mineralization and host rocks are required to meet these demands. Here we used diamondiferous kimberlite ore bodies as a test case and show that DNA amplicon sequencing of soil microbial communities resolves anomalies in microbial community composition and structure that reflect the surface expression of kimberlites buried under 10 s of meters of overburden. Indicator species derived from laboratory amendment experiments were employed in an exploration survey in which the species distributions effectively delineated the surface expression of buried kimberlites. Additional indicator species derived directly from field observations improved the blind discovery of kimberlites buried beneath similar overburden types. Application of DNA sequence-based analyses of soil microbial communities to mineral deposit exploration provides a powerful illustration of how genomics technologies can be leveraged in the discovery of critical new resources.

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Biogeochemical indicators of buried mineralization under cover, Talbot VMS Cu–Zn prospect, Manitoba

Cited by 10 publications

References 59 publications

Geogenic Factors as Drivers of Microbial Community Diversity in Soils Overlying Polymetallic Deposits

Geogenic Factors as Drivers of Microbial Community Diversity in Soils Overlying Polymetallic Deposits

Biosignature Preservation and Detection in Mars Analog Environments

DNA sequencing, microbial indicators, and the discovery of buried kimberlites

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