Geological Society of America

T138 Lacustrine Systems around the World I: In Honor of Michael Rosen

Tuesday, 12 October 2021
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Portland Ballroom 252 (Hybrid Room)

MICROBIAL ROLES IN THE RAPID FORMATION OF COLUMNAR TUFAS FROM BIG SODA LAKE, NEVADA

Paper number: T138-5
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 8:50 AM – 9:05 AM

Authors

Fernando Medina Ferrer Presenting Author
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN
Cansu Demirel-Floyd
University of Oklahoma, NORMAN, OK
Jake V. Bailey
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN
Hope A. Johnson
California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA
John Spear
Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO
Frank Corsetti
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Michael R. Rosen
US Geological Survey, Carson City, NV
Jayme Feyhl-Buska
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Virginia Russell
University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Fredrik Sønderholm
University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen
Sean Loyd
California State University, Fullerton, Fullerton, CA
Russell Shapiro
California State University at Chico, Chico, CA
Blake W. Stamps
UES, Inc., Dayton, OH
Victoria A. Petryshyn
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CO

Abstract

Carbonate tufa mounds from the alkaline Big Soda Lake (BSL), Nevada, show signs of active and rapid growth associated with groundwater seeping into the lake. Although diverse biofilms are found on the surface of the tufas, the potential effect of microbial activity on carbonate precipitation and tufa growth is unknown. Here we show that BSL tufas host a diverse microbial community that promote carbonate precipitation and potentially contribute to the formation of tufa mounds. Genes associated with metabolic pathways that potentially increase carbonate saturation were found by metagenomic DNA sequencing of biofilm tufas, and in situ enzymatic activity assays showed that both urease and carbonic anhydrase are active in BSL. Microcosm incubation experiments of tufa biofilms showed calcium carbonate precipitation associated with the activity of microbial urease, which provides a potential mechanism of tufa formation. Therefore, active microbial urease possibly catalyzes the rapid growth of columnar tufas in BSL.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 53, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2021AM-371271

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