T65 Common Approaches to Investigating Patterns and Processes of Bioerosion across Substrates
Sunday, 31 October 2010
1:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Room 302
SYNCHROTRON-BASED INSIGHTS INTO CHEMICAL TRANSFORMATIONS MEDIATED BY ENDOILTHIC MICROORGANISMS IN SEAFLOOR AND SUBSEAFLOOR ROCKS
Paper number: T65-7
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 3:00 PM – 3:20 PM
Authors
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Thomas P. TrainorUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK
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Emily KnowlesUniversity of Colorado - Boulder, Boulder, CO
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Lisa E. MayhewUniversity of Colorado - Boulder, Boulder, CO
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Hubert StaudigelUniv of California, La Jolla, CA
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Bradley M. TeboEBS Department at OGI, Beaverton, OR
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Samuel M. WebbSLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA
Abstract
Synchrotron-radiation (SR) based x-ray scattering and spectroscopic techniques are increasingly utilized to gain insights into the mechanisms of bioerosion and biomineralization processes. One of the key reasons to use SR approaches is the need to spatially resolve the redistribution of trace elements during biologically-mediated mineral dissolution and precipitation processes at the microbe/rock interface. SR-based approaches are particularly powerful when used to also identify changes in the mineralogy and speciation of redox-sensitive elements, such as Fe, Mn and S, that may sustain microbial metabolisms while leaving diagnostic biosignatures. To explore these ideas, this talk will present some recent advances in using SR-based techniques to determine mechanisms of bioalteration within the oceanic crust. In particular, we will present nano-scale and micro-scale x-ray fluorescence, diffraction and x-ray absorption spectroscopy data that helps constrain modern and ancient bioerosion processes mediated by microbial communities hosted within seafloor and subseafloor volcanic glasses.