Modeling the impact of microbial activity on redox dynamics in porous media

The present study investigates the interaction between microbial growth and activity and the redox dynamics in natural porous media. The impact the transport regime has on this interaction is also addressed. Expressions for microbial growth are incorporated into a geochemical reaction network linking redox reaction rates to the activity of the microorganisms. A flexible simulation environment, the Biogeochemical Reaction Network Simulator (BRNS) is used for this purpose. Two reactive transport applications relevant to fields of contaminant hydrology and early diagenesis are simulated with the BRNS. Model results are evaluated based on a comparison with comprehensive datasets on the biodegradation of lactate in a sand column experiment and on the distribution of redox-sensitive chemical species in marine sediments of the Skagerrak, Denmark. It is shown that, despite quite different transport regimes, the geomicrobiological model performs equally well in the reproduction of measured chemical species distribution for both applications. This result emphasizes the broad applicability of the proposed approach. Our simulations support that the competitive behavior between various microbial groups is a process controlling the development of redox stratified environments. Furthermore, it is also shown that the transport regime is a key controlling factor for the degree of spatial correlation between microbial biomass distributions and redox reaction rates. Although all our simulations yield a pronounced stratification of the redox processes in the system, the biomass distribution is related to the associated reaction rates only in case of the advection controlled column experiment. In the early diagenetic application, mixing due to bioturbation is the dominant transport process for particulate matter, hence leading to fairly homogeneous distribution of bacterial biomasses which are unrelated to the spatial distribution of redox reaction rates. This homogeneous biomass distribution combined with the 1G carbon degradation model approach might explain why the steady state concentration profiles in such systems can be reproduced by diagenetic models without explicit representation of microbial growth.     

Emplacement age and thermal footprint of the diamondiferous Ellendale E9 lamproite pipe, Western Australia

The diamondiferous Ellendale 9 (E9) pipe is a funnel-shaped maar-diatreme volcano consisting of inward-dipping tuff sequences intruded by lamproite plugs and dykes. The host rocks for the E9 pipe are Permian sandstones. The multiple lithological contacts exposed within the mined maar volcano provide a natural laboratory in which to study the effect of volcanic processes on U–Th–Pb–He systematics. Zircon from the regional sandstone and E9 lamproite display a bimodal distribution of ages on (U–Th)/He–U/Pb plots. The zircon U/Pb ages for the E9 pipe (n?=?52) range from 440 to 2,725 Ma, while the cluster of (U–Th)/He ages for the lamproite dyke zircon indicate that dyke emplacement occurred at 20.6?±?2.8 Ma, concordant with a maximum emplacement age of about ≤22 Ma from phlogopite ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar. These ages indicate a xenocrystic origin for the zircon entrained in the E9 dyke. The U/Pb ages of detrital zircon from the regional sandstone host (373–3,248 Ma; n?=?41) are indistinguishable from those of the lamproite zircon xenocrysts, whereas the detrital zircon in the host sandstone yield (U–Th)/He ages from 260 to 1,500 Ma. A thermochronology traverse across the E9 lamproite dyke reveals that the zircon (U–Th)/He ages in the host sandstone have not been significantly thermally reset during dyke emplacement, even at the contact. The capability of the zircon (U–Th)/He method to distinguish deep, mantle source lithologies from upper crustal source lithologies could be used in geochemical exploration for diamonds. Pre-screening of detrital samples using etching and helium assay methods will improve the efficiency and decrease the cost of greenfields exploration.     

Tourmaline mineralization in the Barberton greenstone belt,South Africa: early Archean metasomatism by evaporite-derived boron

Tourmaline-rich rocks are common in the lowgrade, interior portions of the Barberton greenstone belt of South Africa, where shallow-marine sediments and underlying altered basaltic and komatiitic lavas contain up to 50% tourmaline. The presence of tourmaline-bearing rip-up clasts, intraformational tourmalinite pebbles, and tourmaline-coated grains indicates that boron mineralization was a low-temperature, surficial process. The association of these lithologies with stromatolites, evaporites, and shallow-water sedimentary structures and the virtual absence of tourmaline in correlative deep-water facies rocks in the greenstone bels strengthens this model.Five tourmaline-bearing lithologic groups (basalts, komatiites, evaporite-bearing sediments, stromatolitic sediments, and quartz veins) are distinguished based on field, petrographic, and geochemical criteria. Individual tourmaline crystals within these lithologies show internal chemical and textural variations that reflect continued growth through intervals of change in bulk-rock and fluid composition accompanying one or more metasomatic events. Large single-crystal variations exist in Fe/Mg, Al/Fe, and alkali-site vacancies. A wide range in tourmaline composition exists in rocks altered from similar protoliths, but tourmalines in sediments and lavas have similar compositional variations. Boron-isotope analysis of the tourmalines suggest that the boron enrichment in these rocks has a major marine evaporitic component. Sediments with gypsum pseudomorphs and lavas altered at low temperatures by shallow-level brines have the highest ¹¹B values (+2.2 to-1.9); lower ¹¹B values of late quartz veins (-3.7 to-5.7) reflect intermediate temperature, hydrothermal remobilization of evaporitic boron. The ¹¹B values of tourmaline-rich stromatolitic sediments (-9.8 and-10.5) are consistent with two-stage boron enrichment, in which earlier marine evaporitic boron was hydrothermally remobilized and vented in shallow-marine or subaerial sites, mineralizing algal stromatolites. The stromatolite-forming algae preferentially may have lived near the sites of hydrothermal discharge in Archean times.     

Experimental abiotic alteration of igneous and manufactured glasses

Pits in ocean basalt glass are often attributed to the activity of microorganisms, however, neither the mechanism of formation of pits in glass nor the involvement of microorganisms have been confirmed by experimentation. Experimental abiotic corrosion of basalt glass with 1% hydrofluoric acid (HF), a proxy for more slowly acting organic acids, produces pits that are similar in size, shape, and distribution to pits found in basalt glass collected from the ocean floor and basalt glass incubated with microorganisms. This pit formation by HF etching was demonstrated by comparing secondary electron images taken before and after the acid treatment. The formation of pits by abiotic corrosion of basalt glass is an alternate hypothesis for the origin of these features, and the interpretation of these features as biomarkers may require a resolution of these alternative hypotheses.     

The role of closed ecological systems in carbon cycle modelling

Acquiring a mechanistic understanding of the role of biotic feedbacks for the links between atmospheric CO₂ concentrations and temperature is essential for trustworthy climate predictions. Currently, computer-based simulations are the only available tool to estimate the global impact of biotic feedbacks on future atmospheric CO₂ and temperatures. Here we propose an alternative and complementary approach by using materially closed, energetically open analogue/physical models of the carbon cycle. We argue that there is unexplored potential in using a materially closed approach to improve our understanding of the magnitude and direction of many biotic carbon feedbacks and that recent technological advances make this feasible. We also suggest how such systems could be designed and discuss the advantages and limitations of establishing physical models of the global carbon cycle.     

Geochronology of granulites from the south Itabuna-Salvador-Curaçá Block,São Francisco Craton (Brazil): Nd isotopes and U–Pb zircon ages

This work provides five new U–Pb zircon dating and the corresponding Nd isotope data for felsic granulites from the south Itabuna-Salvador-Curaçá Block (ISCB), in the São Francisco Craton, Brazil. Three major sets of felsic granulites can be recognised. The oldest set is tonalitic in composition and of TTG affinity. It is Archaean in age with magmatic zircon cores dated at 2675 ± 11 Ma by LA-ICPMS and up to ca 2.7–2.9 Ga by SHRIMP on an other sample. It exhibits epsilon Nd values between ?8 and ?11 at 2.1 Ga. This Nd signature is similar to that of granulites found in the western Archaean Jequié Block. Cartographically, this set of Archaean terrains represents at least 50% of the granulites in the studied area. The second set corresponds to a Palaeoproterozoic calc-alkaline tonalitic suite with zircon ages from 2019 ± 19 Ma to 2191 ± 10 Ma and epsilon Nd values between ?3 and ?4 at 2.1 Ga, corresponding partially to a newly formed crust. The third set of granulites is also Palaeoproterozoic. It is shoshonitic to monzonitic in composition and synchronous with the high grade metamorphism dated by metamorphic zircons at 2086 ± 7 Ma (average of five samples). The Nd isotope signature for this alkaline set is similar to that of the Palaeoproterozoic calc-alkaline one. Nd isotopes appear to be a very efficient tool to distinguish Archaean from Palaeoproterozoic felsic protoliths in granulitic suites of the Itabuna-Salvador-Curaçá Block (ISCB). Finally, the southern part of the ISCB is composed of a mixture of Archaean and Palaeoproterozoic protoliths, in similar amounts, suggesting that it was probably an active margin between 2.1 and 2.2 Ga located on the eastern border of the Archaean Jequié Block. A major crustal thickening process occurred at ca 2.09 Ga in the ISCB and seems significantly younger towards the west, in the Jequié granulites, where an average of 2056 ± 9 Ma is determined for the high grade event.     

The perceptions of local fishermen towards a hotel managed marine reserve in Vietnam

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) often fail to meet ecological, social or economic objectives due to lack of effective management by government institutions. Partly in response to this failure, a number of marine reserves managed by the private sector, Hotel Managed Marine Reserves (HMMRs), have recently been established. In this study, we investigate changes to the social and economic conditions faced by local fishermen, following the establishment of two small reserves adjacent to a hotel in Vietnam, as well as their perceptions of the reserves' ability to produce spillover. The findings are used to gauge management performance and effectiveness of the HMMRs. Two surveys with different survey designs, targeting fishermen with different fishing techniques, produced conflicting results. Fishermen mainly dependent on beach seining mostly opposed the HMMRs and the prospect of more protected areas being established. Fishermen using other fishing techniques were generally in favor of the HMMRs, welcoming more protection and confirming spillover of fish, including large food fishes.