Sulfate-reducing bacteria and silica solubility: a possible mechanism for evaporite diagenesis and silica precipitation in banded iron formations

Birnbaum, S. J.; Wireman, John W.

doi:10.1139/e85-206

Cited by 38 publications

(15 citation statements)

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“…Silica-rich pore waters were likely derived from remobilization of biogenic silica from sponge spicules [5]. Soluble silica, in the form of monosilicic acid, H 4 SiO 4 , dissociates to H 3 SiO 4 – at pH values above ca 9.7 [31,32]. H 3 SiO – is a highly soluble form of silicic acid, and it reacts with hydrogen ions to form SiO 2 [33, fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Postmortem sealing of the specimens by cyanobacterial mats has been hypothesized as a mechanism for rapid sealing of the specimens from decay and predation, resulting in a localized pH environment suitable for controlling the silicification of the mineralized trilobites in the SP [5]. It is possible that silicification was initiated once the specimens became entombed in the decaying microbial mat and this would have provided the necessary conditions for decay-related reduction in pH > 7 [5,31]. …”

Section: Taphonomic Pathwaymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Minerals in the gut: scoping a Cambrian digestive system

Strang¹,

Armstrong²,

Harper³

2016

R. Soc. open sci.

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The Sirius Passet Lagerstätte of North Greenland contains the first exceptionally preserved mat-ground community of the Cambrian, dominated, in terms of abundance, by trilobites but particularly characterized by iconic arthropods and lobopods, some also occurring in the Burgess shale. High-resolution photography, scanning electron imaging and elemental mapping have been carried out on a variety of specimens of the non-mineralized arthropod Campanamuta mantonae (Budd 2011 J. Syst. Palaeontol. 9, 217–260 (doi:10.1080/14772019.2010.49264410.1080/14772019.2010.492644)) which has three-dimensional gut and muscle preservation. Results show that the guts contain a high concentration of calcium phosphate (approximating to the mineral francolite), whereas the adjacent muscles are silicified. This indicates a unique, tissue-specific taphonomy for this Cambrian taxon. We hypothesize that the precipitation of calcium phosphate in the guts occurs rapidly after death by ‘crystal seed’ processes in suboxic, slightly acidic conditions; critically, the gut wall remained intact during precipitation. We postulate that the calcium phosphate was derived from ingested cellular material. Silicification of the muscles followed as the localized water chemistry became saturated in silica, high in Fe2+, and low in oxygen and sulfate. We document here the unique occurrence of two distinct but mechanistically similar taphonomic pathways within a diverse suite of possibilities in an Early Cambrian Lagerstätte.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Taphonomic Pathwaymentioning

confidence: 99%

Minerals in the gut: scoping a Cambrian digestive system

Strang¹,

Armstrong²,

Harper³

2016

R. Soc. open sci.

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“…This would have been facilitated by evaporation and progressive silica concentration (Jones et al, 1967). No evidence was found for a genetic relation with hydrothermal silica (Jones et al, 1997) or with intense bacterial sulphate reduction (Birnbaum & Wireman, 1985).…”

Section: Upper Evaporite Unitmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaporative systems and diagenetic patterns in the Calatayud Basin (Miocene, central Spain)

Ortı́¹,

Rosell²

2000

Sedimentology

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This paper concerns the evaporite units, depositional systems, cyclicity, diagenetic products and anhydritization patterns of the Calatayud Basin (nonmarine, Miocene, central Spain). In outcrop, the sulphate minerals of these shallow lacustrine evaporites consist of primary and secondary gypsum, the latter originating from the replacement of anhydrite and glauberite. In the evaporative systems of this basin, gypsiferous marshes of low salinity can be distinguished from central, saline lakes of higher salinity. In the gypsiferous marsh facies, the dominant, massive, bioturbated gypsum was partly replaced by synsedimentary chert nodules and siliceous crusts. In the saline lake facies, either cycles of gypsiferous lutite-laminated gypsarenite or irregular alternations of laminated gypsum, nodular and banded glauberite, thenardite and nodular anhydrite precipitated. Early replacement of part of the glauberite by anhydrite also occurred. Episodes of subaerial exposure are represented by:(1) pedogenic carbonates (with nodular magnesite) and gypsiferous crusts composed of poikilitic crystals; and (2) nodular anhydrite, which formed in a sabkha. Additionally, meganodular anhydrite occurs, which presumably precipitated from ascending, highly saline solutions. The timing of anhydritization was mainly controlled by the salinity of the pore solutions, and occurred from the onset of deposition to moderate burial. Locally, a thick (>200 m) sequence of gypsum cycles developed, which was probably controlled by climatic variation. A trend of upward-decreasing salinity is deduced from the base to the top of the evaporite succession.

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“…Sulfate-reducing bacteria, evident from framboids in the Farrel Quartzite paleosols ( Fig. 5F-H), excrete silica spicules and are capable of silicification of evaporites (Birnbaum and Wireman, 1985;Birnbaum et al, 1989). In addition, microorganisms can be preserved in flocculant organic oozes, which persist by desiccation and salt-pickling in dry soda lakes for later permineralization (Birnbaum et al, 1989).…”

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confidence: 99%

Archean coastal-plain paleosols and life on land

et al. 2016

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Coastal-plain paleosols in the 3.0 Ga Farrel Quartzite of Western Australia have organic surface (A horizon) and sulfate-rich subsurface (By) horizons, like soils of the Atacama Desert of Chile, Dry Valleys of Antarctica, and 3.7 Ga paleosols of Mars. Farrel Quartzite paleosols include previously described microfossils, permineralized by silica in a way comparable with the Devonian Rhynie Chert, a well known permineralized Histosol. Five microfossil morphotypes in the Farrel Quartzite include a variety of spheroidal cells (Archaeosphaeroides) as well as distinctive large spindles (new genus provisionally assigned to cf. Eopoikilofusa). Previously published cell-specific carbon isotopic analyses of the Farrel Quartzite microfossils, and unusually abundant sulfate considering a likely anoxic atmosphere, allow interpretation of these morphotypes as a terrestrial community of actinobacteria, purple sulfur bacteria, and methanogenic Archaea. Graphical abstract. (see figure) 1 Research highlights  There are coastal-plain paleosols in 3.0 Ga Farrel Quartzite, Western Australia  Paleosols have organic surface (A) and sulfate-rich subsurface (By) horizon. Comparable profiles are known from deserts of Chile, Antarctica, and Mars. Microfossils in paleosols included actinobacteria, sulfur bacteria, methanogens.

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Sulfate-reducing bacteria and silica solubility: a possible mechanism for evaporite diagenesis and silica precipitation in banded iron formations

Cited by 38 publications

References 0 publications

Minerals in the gut: scoping a Cambrian digestive system

Minerals in the gut: scoping a Cambrian digestive system

Evaporative systems and diagenetic patterns in the Calatayud Basin (Miocene, central Spain)

Archean coastal-plain paleosols and life on land

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