Crystallization of authigenic carbonates in mud volcanoes at Lake Baikal

This paper presents data on authigenic siderite first found in surface sediments from mud volcanoes in the Central (K-2) and Southern (Malen’kii) basins of Lake Baikal. Ca is the predominant cation, which substitutes Fe in the crystalline lattice of siderite. The enrichment of the carbonates in the ¹³C isotope (from +3.3 to +6.8‰ for the Malen’kii volcano and from +17.7 to +21.9‰ for K-2) results from the crystallization of the carbonates during methane generation via the bacterial destruction of organic matter (acetate). The overall depletion of the carbonates in ¹⁸O is mainly inherited from the isotopic composition of Baikal water.     

Authigenic rhodochrosite from a gas hydrate-bearing structure in Lake Baikal

International Journal of Earth Sciences - Early diagenetic carbonates are rare in Lake Baikal. Siderite (Fe carbonate) concretions in the sediments were discovered only recently. Here, we discuss...     

Geochemical and microbiological characteristics of sediments near the Malenky mud volcano (Lake Baikal, Russia), with evidence of Archaea intermediate between the marine anaerobic methanotrophs ANME-2 and ANME-3

Detailed lithological, biogeochemical and molecular biological analyses of core sediments collected in 2002–2006 from the vicinity of the Malenky mud volcano, Lake Baikal, reveal considerable spatial variations in pore water chemical composition, with total concentrations of dissolved salts varying from 0.1 to 1.8‰. Values of methane δ¹³С in the sediments suggest a biogenic origin (δ¹³С_min. ?61.3‰, δ¹³С_max. ?72.9‰). Rates of sulphate reduction varied from 0.001 to 0.7 nmol cm^?3 day^?1, of autotrophic methanogenesis from 0.01 to 2.98 nmol CH₄ cm^?3 day^?1, and of anaerobic oxidation of methane from 0 to 12.3 nmol cm^?3 day^?1. These results indicate that methanogenic processes dominate in gas hydrate-bearing sediments of Lake Baikal. Based on clone libraries of 16S rRNA genes amplified with Bacteria- and Archaea-specific primers, investigation of microbial diversity in gas hydrate-bearing sediments revealed bacterial 16S rRNA clones classified as Deltaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Chloroflexi and OP11. Archaeal clone sequences are related to the Crenarchaeota and Euryarchaeota. Baikal sequences of Archaea form a distinct cluster occupying an intermediate position between the marine groups ANME-2 and ANME-3 of anaerobic methanotrophs.     

Isotopic composition of dissolved inorganic carbon in subsurface sediments of gas hydrate-bearing mud volcanoes, Lake Baikal: implications for methane and carbonate origin

We report on the isotopic composition of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in pore-water samples recovered by gravity coring from near-bottom sediments at gas hydrate-bearing mud volcanoes/gas flares (Malenky, Peschanka, Peschanka 2, Goloustnoe, and Irkutsk) in the Southern Basin of Lake Baikal. The δ¹³C values of DIC become heavier with increasing subbottom depth, and vary between ?9.5 and +21.4‰ PDB. Enrichment of DIC in ¹³C indicates active methane generation in anaerobic environments near the lake bottom. These data confirm our previous assumption that crystallization of carbonates (siderites) in subsurface sediments is a result of methane generation. Types of methanogenesis (microbial methyl-type fermentation versus CO₂-reduction) were revealed by determining the offset of δ¹³C between dissolved CH₄ and CO₂, and also by using δ¹³C and δD values of dissolved methane present in the pore waters. Results show that both mechanisms are most likely responsible for methane generation at the investigated locations.     

Petroleum potential of Baikal deposits

We analyzed oils, gases, and bitumens of bottom sediments from natural shows on the southeastern shore of Lake Baikal, in the mouth of the Stvolovaya River near Capes Tolstyi and Gorevoi Utes. Based on a set of geological data, we have established that: (1) the lake oils underwent biodegradation to a variable degree: “Fresh” nondegraded paraffin oil floats up near Cape Gorevoi Utes; in the mouth of the Stvolovaya River and near Cape Tolstyi, aromatic-naphthene oil lacks n-alkanes, monomethyl alkanes, and acyclic isoprenoids; (2) Cenozoic oil originated from the organic matter of fresh-water basins with significant amounts of higher land plant remains, including angiosperm plants (oleanane), which suggests the lake or delta genesis of oil source formations of Cretaceous and younger ages. Judging from the carbon isotope composition (average δ¹³C = −43.84‰), methane from the bottom sediments near Cape Gorevoi Utes is catagenetic. The initial in-place resources in the Baikal sedimentary basins are estimated by the volumetric-statistical method at 500 mln tons of equivalent hydrocarbons.     

Microbial uncultured community of bottom sediments from the bays of Gydan and Yenisei of the Kara Sea

Using methods of molecular biology (PCR and cloning), we studied the diversity of microorganisms in the surface layers of bottom sediments from the bays of Gydan and Yenisei of the Kara Sea, which have different component composition of the pore water and mineralization level. Representatives of the domains Bacteria and Archaea were identified based on the analysis of the 16S rRNA gene fragment nucleotide sequences. The composition of the community of microorganisms in the bottom sediments changed with the changing salinity gradient of the pore waters. The phylogenetic analysis of the nucleotide sequences showed that the composition of the microbial communities in the southern parts of these bays was affected by fresh-water flows from rivers and streams from the lakes within the catchment area, whereas that in the northern parts was influenced by sea waters. The results indicate the presence of bacteria in the bottom sediments that are capable of using a wide range of substrates as a carbon source including hydrocarbons and organochlorine and aromatic compounds. These data can also indicate the presence of different pollutants in the sediments of these areas and the potential ability of bacteria to degrade chemical compounds that enter the waters and bottom sediments of the Kara Sea.     

Structure and Production Potential of Summer Phytoplankton of Lake Baikal in the Present Period

Water Resources - A study of the structure and production parameters of phytoplankton (biomass, photosynthesis rate, chlorophyll a content, and assimilation numbers) in the coastal and pelagic...