T33 New Advances in Geobiology (Posters)

Sunday, 22 September 2024
8:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Hall D

MINERALS & MICROORGANISMS, A POSSIBLE RELATIONSHIP: AN AWARENESS PROJECT OF GEOMICROBIOLOGY

Paper number: T33-8
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM

Authors

Abstract

The growing awareness of the relationships between minerals and microorganisms has deeply impacted the geosciences in the last decades. Microorganisms have been recognized to play a critical role in element cycles, resulting in the precipitation of minerals and in the formation of peculiar rocks (e.g. microbialites, stromatolites, thrombolites) that punctuate the geological record. Moreover, the Earth history was characterized by episodes of massive accumulation of mineralized remains of microorganisms on the ocean floors, resulting in the formation of biogenous oozes that represent natural archives of past climatic and oceanographic variability. Finally, the rapid growth of minerals can act as a trap for microorganisms that can be perfectly preserved within the crystal lattice or fluid inclusions for millions of years. Such strict connections between the geosphere and the biosphere are mostly unknown to the general audience, although the impact of microbial (microorganisms) and nanoscopic (viruses) life on our society is emerging more and more. The project “Minerals & Microbes, a possible relationship: GEOMICROBIology for dummies” aims at showing the microbial life enclosed in minerals and rocks. Improving people awareness about the role of microorganisms in shaping the Earth will contribute to understand the importance of life as a “geological force”. The project GEOMICROBI will contribute to raise such awareness throughout imaging (mostly by SEM photomicrographs) the "invisible life" hidden within minerals and rocks from Italy and all over the world. Main target of the project is the creation of a photographic exhibition that will be accompanied by informative conferences on the theme "Minerals & Microorganisms". This poster is intended to attract the attention of the international geological community on this dissemination initiative and to look for amazing, high-definition images on mineral-microorganism interactions.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 56, No. 5

doi: 10.1130/abs/2024AM-401399

© Copyright 2024 The Geological Society of America (GSA), all rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to the author(s) of this abstract to reproduce and distribute it freely, for noncommercial purposes. Permission is hereby granted to any individual scientist to download a single copy of this electronic file and reproduce up to 20 paper copies for noncommercial purposes advancing science and education, including classroom use, providing all reproductions include the complete content shown here, including the author information. All other forms of reproduction and/or transmittal are prohibited without written permission from GSA Copyright Permissions.