Stromatolites as geochemical archives to reconstruct microbial habitats through deep time: Potential and pitfalls of novel radiogenic and stable isotope systems

Hohl, Simon V.; Viehmann, Sebastian

doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2021.103683

Cited by 27 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 200 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…This process is fundamental not only for understanding the development of present channels but also for dating ancient biogenic deposits ( Van de Vijsel et al, 2020) and ancient biostabilisation processes (e.g. microbialites; Burne and Moore, 1987;stromatolites;Hohl and Viehmann, 2021;Noffke et al, 2013). Further development of the model is required to account for the long-term effect of sticky microbial biofilms on the substrate and their effect on the landscape development.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of hydro-climate variation on biofilm dynamics and its impact in intertidal environments

Bastianon

Hope²,

Dorrell³

et al. 2022

Earth Surf. Dynam.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. Shallow tidal environments are very productive ecosystems but are sensitive to environmental changes and sea level rise. Bio-morphodynamic control of these environments is therefore a crucial consideration; however, the effect of small-scale biological activity on large-scale cohesive sediment dynamics like tidal basins and estuaries is still largely unquantified. This study advances our understanding by assessing the influence of biotic and abiotic factors on biologically cohesive sediment transport and morphology. An idealised benthic biofilm model is incorporated in a 1D morphodynamic model of tide-dominated channels. This study investigates the effect of a range of environmental and biological conditions on biofilm growth and their feedback on the morphological evolution of the entire intertidal channel. By carrying out a sensitivity analysis of the bio-morphodynamic model, parameters like (i) hydrodynamic disturbances, (ii) seasonality, (iii) biofilm growth rate, (iv) temperature variation and (v) bio-cohesivity of the sediment are systematically changed. Results reveal that key parameters such as growth rate and temperature strongly influence the development of biofilm and are key determinants of equilibrium biofilm configuration and development under a range of disturbance periodicities and intensities. Long-term simulations of intertidal channel development demonstrate that the hydrodynamic disturbances induced by tides play a key role in shaping the morphology of the bed and that the presence of surface biofilm increases the time to reach morphological equilibrium. In locations characterised by low hydrodynamic forces, the biofilm grows and stabilises the bed, inhibiting the transport of coarse sediment (medium and fine sand). These findings suggest biofilm presence in channel beds results in intertidal channels that have significantly different characteristics in terms of morphology and stratigraphy compared abiotic sediments. It is concluded that inclusion of bio-cohesion in morphodynamic models is essential to predict estuary development and mitigate coastal erosion.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of hydro-climate variation on biofilm dynamics and its impact in intertidal environments

Bastianon

Hope²,

Dorrell³

et al. 2022

Earth Surf. Dynam.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Some authors advocate that the role of microbial community metabolisms active during accretion can be interpreted as a chemical biosignature, through stable carbon, oxygen, sulphur, nitrogen, iron and molybdenum isotope ratios and elemental concentrations, like rare earth elements (Andres & Reid, 2006; Bontognali et al, 2012; Corkeron et al, 2012; Giovanna, 2015; Johannesson et al, 2014; Lepot, 2020; Londry & Des Marais, 2003; Stüeken et al, 2016; Thomazo et al, 2011; Valdivieso‐Ojeda et al, 2014). In contrast, others interpret the geochemistry of microbialites to represent high‐fidelity archives of sea water chemistry, redox and environmental conditions through time (Chagas et al, 2016; Hohl et al, 2015; Hohl & Viehmann, 2021; Petrash et al, 2016; Voegelin et al, 2009; Webb & Kamber, 2000). Understanding the evolutionary history of a microbialite in terms of initial architecture and early taphonomy will therefore be critical for valid interpretation of both morphological and geochemical signatures.…”

Section: Comparison With Previous Work and Broader Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bidirectional fabric evolution in Hamelin Pool microbialites, Shark Bay, Western Australia

Vitek

Suosaari

Oehlert

et al. 2023

The Depositional Record

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Hamelin Pool, Shark Bay, Western Australia hosts the world's largest and most extensive assemblages of living marine microbialites, comparable in size and shape to ancient structures found throughout the fossil record. Here, we document the internal fabrics of modern microbialites collected throughout Hamelin Pool. Meso‐ and microscale observations of microbialite polished slabs and thin section scans, optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy formed the basis for a fabric classification system that combines accretionary mat type with microfabric. Accretionary mat types included pustular, smooth, colloform, as well as ‘transitional’ mats that are a cross between pustular and smooth mats. Mapping of fabrics in 45 microbialite heads indicated bi‐directional evolution. An upward progression of fabrics corresponded to changes in mat type as the head grew upward into shallower water. A downward evolution of microfabrics occurred as surface mats transitioned into the subsurface of the microbialite structure. Downward microfabric evolution occurred as a result of early taphonomic processes, and involved a progression from the original depositional architecture to subsequent stages of micritic thickening, and finally, cement infilling. The observed bi‐directional evolution of microbialite microfabrics within Hamelin Pool offers a conceptual framework for the study of modern microbialites, not simply as the sole product of accretionary mat types but rather as the combined result of the activity of surface mats and their taphonomic evolution. Early taphonomic processes induce further lithification of the microbialites which may enhance preservation potential in the geological record.

show abstract

“…The concept of residence time is well established in isotope geochemistry; ,, however, it has not been well explored for salinity proxies that rely on elemental abundance ratios or stable isotopes to investigate connectivity of a given basin to the global ocean. This study is designed to fill this gap for traditional stable isotopes and their elemental abundances (carbon, nitrogen, sulfur).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Over the past few decades, several geochemical proxies have been developed to distinguish between marine and nonmarine environmental conditions during the deposition of ancient sedimentary strata. Examples of these include organic carbon-to-sulfur ratios, strontium/barium ratios, and boron/gallium ratios in shales, as well as rare earth element (REE) patterns, 143 Nd/ 144 Nd isotope systematics, and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios in chemical sediments such as carbonates or cherts. − Applications of these proxies have provided important constraints on the interpretation of several sedimentary units in the rock record, especially in the Precambrian, where fossils that are diagnostic of either freshwater or seawater conditions are absent. − , One caveat in the application of geochemical proxies is the difference in residence time of various proxy elements in seawater (globally or within the regional environment), which impacts their ability to track geologically short-lived transitions between marine and nonmarine conditions in the stratigraphic record. Such rapid transitions may, for example, be associated with sea level changes in response to glacial–interglacial cycles.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the Effects of Residence Time on the Utility of Stable Isotopes and S/C Ratios as Proxies for Ocean Connectivity

Stüeken

Viehmann

Hohl

2023

ACS Earth Space Chem.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Various geochemical proxies have been developed to determine if ancient sedimentary strata were deposited in marine or nonmarine environments. A critical parameter for proxy reliability is the residence time of aqueous species in seawater, which is rarely considered for proxies relying on stable isotopes and elemental abundance ratios. Differences in residence time may affect our ability to track geologically short-lived alternations between marine and nonmarine conditions. To test this effect for sulfur and nitrogen isotopes and sulfur/carbon ratios, we investigated a stratigraphic section in the Miocene Oberpullendorf Basin in Austria. Here, previous work revealed typical seawater-like rare earth element and yttrium (REY) systematics transitioning to nonmarine-like systematics. This shift was interpreted as a brief transition from an open marine depositional setting to a restricted embayment with a reduced level of exchange with the open ocean and possibly freshwater influence. Our isotopic results show no discernible response in carbonate-associated sulfate sulfur isotopes and carbon/sulfur abundance ratios during the interval of marine restriction inferred from the REY data, but nitrogen isotopes show a decrease by several permil. This observation is consistent with the much longer residence time of sulfate in seawater compared with REY and nitrate. Hence, this case study illustrates that the residence time is a key factor for the utility of seawater proxies. In some cases, it may make geochemical parameters more sensitive to marine water influx than paleontological observations, as in the Oberpullendorf Basin. Particular care is warranted in deep time, when marine residence times likely differ markedly from the modern.

show abstract

Stromatolites as geochemical archives to reconstruct microbial habitats through deep time: Potential and pitfalls of novel radiogenic and stable isotope systems

Cited by 27 publications

References 200 publications

Effect of hydro-climate variation on biofilm dynamics and its impact in intertidal environments

Effect of hydro-climate variation on biofilm dynamics and its impact in intertidal environments

Bidirectional fabric evolution in Hamelin Pool microbialites, Shark Bay, Western Australia

Exploring the Effects of Residence Time on the Utility of Stable Isotopes and S/C Ratios as Proxies for Ocean Connectivity

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About