Stromatolite lamination frequency, Walker Lake, Nevada: Implications for stromatolites as biosignatures

Abstract

Lamination in stromatolites (considered some of the oldest fossils on Earth) is commonly interpreted to record the periodic response of a microbial community to daily, seasonal, or perhaps yearly environmental forcing, but the inability to date ancient stromatolites precludes an understanding of the lamination formation processes. We use high-resolution 14 C dating of Holocene stromatolites from Walker Lake, Nevada (United States), to construct a record of lamination rate over the course of accretion. Laminae formed with a period of 5.6 ± 1.6 yr/ lamination at the base of the structure, 1.6-2.8 ± 1.9 yr/lamination in the middle, and 4.5 ± 0.8 yr/lamination at the top of the laminated portion. The predominant 4−6 yr periodicity indicates that lamination formation is likely more closely related to regional climate forcing (e.g., El Niño-Southern Oscillation) versus the typical diurnal or seasonal changes in microbial mats traditionally assumed for most ancient stromatolites. Thus, generalizations regarding the infl uence of microbial mats on stromatolite lamination and the use of stromatolites as biosignatures need careful consideration.

Seep-carbonate lamination controlled by cyclic particle flux

“…It is noteworthy that a lacustrine stromatolite, which was not affected by monsoonal circulation, was found to reveal a similar growth periodicity of one laminae per four to six years over a growth period of ~1000 years22. This lamination pattern was interpreted to reflect mainly climate forcing linked to Pacific sea surface temperature and El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) dynamics22. However, the influence of ENSO dynamics on sedimentation patterns of the Makran OMZ was rendered insignificant1219 and its influence on the Indian monsoon is not straightforward23.…”

“…It is therefore likely that the build-up lamination reflects a combination of both, tidal and seasonal forcing, with the latter one becoming more prominent for build-up growth since at least 0.14 ka. It is noteworthy that a lacustrine stromatolite, which was not affected by monsoonal circulation, was found to reveal a similar growth periodicity of one laminae per four to six years over a growth period of ~1000 years22. This lamination pattern was interpreted to reflect mainly climate forcing linked to Pacific sea surface temperature and El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) dynamics22.…”

Wet tropical climate in SE Tibet during the Late Eocene

“…4e and Supplementary Figure S3). These inputs would have supplied calcium-rich water to the loci of microbial and associated carbonate palustrine-lacustrine deposits as also exemplified in present-day Walter Lake, USA 32 . The deposition of massive matrix-supported conglomerates (e.g., debris flows) of eastern provenances therefore implies the existence of adjacent elevated settings from the uplifted areas of the basin, less than 10 km to the east 11 .…”

Origin and significance of lamination in Lower Cretaceous stromatolites and proposal for a quantitative approach

“…Stromat olite lamination has been examined for periodicity (e.g. Jones, 1981;Takashima and Kano, 2008;Petryshyn et al, 2012) and pattern of arrangement (e.g. Zhang et al, 1993;Batchelor et al, 2000;Dupraz et al, 2006;Wagstaff and Corsetti, 2010;Petryshyn and Corsetti, 2011;Mata et al, 2012), but quantitative analyses of stromatolite lami na thickness are not common (e.g., Komar et al, 1965;Bertrand-Sarfati, 1972;Petryshyn et aI., 2012).…”