1
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Oyanagi R, Okamoto A. Subducted carbon weakens the forearc mantle wedge in a warm subduction zone. Nat Commun 2024; 15:7159. [PMID: 39187495 PMCID: PMC11347577 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51476-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Subducting oceanic plates carry large amounts of carbon into the Earth's interior. The subducted carbon is mobilized by fluid and encounters ultramafic rocks in the mantle wedge, resulting in changes to the mineral assemblage and mechanical properties of the mantle. Here, we use thermodynamic modeling of interactions between carbon-bearing multi-component fluids and mantle rocks to investigate the down-dip variation in mineral assemblage in the forearc mantle along subduction megathrusts. We found that fluids rich in aqueous carbon are preferentially generated in a warm subduction zone (e.g., Nankai, SW Japan), causing a change in mineral assemblage from serpentine-rich at the mantle wedge corner to talc + carbonate-rich at greater depths. The transition caused by the infiltration of aqueous carbon may influence the depth of the boundary between the seismogenic and aseismic zones, and the down-dip limit of episodic tremor and slip.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryosuke Oyanagi
- School of Engineering and Science, Kokushikan University, Tokyo, 154-8515, Japan.
- Research Institute for Marine Geodynamics (IMG), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, 237-0061, Japan.
| | - Atsushi Okamoto
- Department of Environmental Studies for Advanced Society, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8579, Japan.
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2
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Selci M, Correggia M, Cordone A, Guida M, Quero GM, Piredda R, Vetriani C, Ramirez C, Lloyd KG, de Moor JM, Barry PH, Schrenk MO, Giovannelli D. Recreational hot springs as environmental reservoir of potential multidrug-resistant pathogens. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024:119841. [PMID: 39182755 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2024] [Revised: 08/21/2024] [Accepted: 08/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Selci
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; Department of Marine and Coastal Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Monica Correggia
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Angelina Cordone
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Guida
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Grazia Marina Quero
- Institute for Marine Biological and Biotechnological Resources, National Research Council of Italy (CNR-IRBIM), Ancona, Italy
| | - Roberta Piredda
- Department of Veterinary Medicine - University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari, Italy
| | - Costantino Vetriani
- Department of Marine and Coastal Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, USA
| | | | - Karen G Lloyd
- Microbiology Department, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - J Maarten de Moor
- Observatorio Volcanológico y Sismológico de Costa Rica (OVSICORI), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Peter H Barry
- Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry Department - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, MA, USA
| | - Matthew O Schrenk
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Donato Giovannelli
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; Institute for Marine Biological and Biotechnological Resources, National Research Council of Italy (CNR-IRBIM), Ancona, Italy; Department of Marine and Coastal Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry Department - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, MA, USA; Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute for Technology, Tokyo, Japan.
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3
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Zhang M, Xu S, Sano Y. Deep carbon recycling viewed from global plate tectonics. Natl Sci Rev 2024; 11:nwae089. [PMID: 38933601 PMCID: PMC11203916 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwae089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Plate tectonics plays an essential role in the redistribution of life-essential volatile elements between Earth's interior and surface, whereby our planet has been well tuned to maintain enduring habitability over much of its history. Here we present an overview of deep carbon recycling in the regime of modern plate tectonics, with a special focus on convergent plate margins for assessing global carbon mass balance. The up-to-date flux compilation implies an approximate balance between deep carbon outflux and subduction carbon influx within uncertainty but remarkably limited return of carbon to convecting mantle. If correct, carbon would gradually accumulate in the lithosphere over time by (i) massive subsurface carbon storage occurring primarily in continental lithosphere from convergent margins to continental interior and (ii) persistent surface carbon sinks to seafloors sustained by high-flux deep CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. Further assessment of global carbon mass balance requires updates on fluxes of subduction-driven carbon recycling paths and reduction in uncertainty of deep carbon outflux. From a global plate tectonics point of view, we particularly emphasize that continental reworking is an important mechanism for remobilizing geologically sequestered carbon in continental crust and sub-continental lithospheric mantle. In light of recent advances, future research is suggested to focus on a better understanding of the reservoirs, fluxes, mechanisms, and climatic effects of deep carbon recycling following an integrated methodology of observation, experiment, and numerical modeling, with the aim of decoding the self-regulating Earth system and its habitability from the deep carbon recycling perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maoliang Zhang
- School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Sheng Xu
- School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yuji Sano
- Marine Core Research Institute, Kochi University, Kochi 783-8502, Japan
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Chiba 277-8564, Japan
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4
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Aguzzi J, Cuadros J, Dartnell L, Costa C, Violino S, Canfora L, Danovaro R, Robinson NJ, Giovannelli D, Flögel S, Stefanni S, Chatzievangelou D, Marini S, Picardi G, Foing B. Marine Science Can Contribute to the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Life. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:676. [PMID: 38929660 PMCID: PMC11205085 DOI: 10.3390/life14060676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Life on our planet likely evolved in the ocean, and thus exo-oceans are key habitats to search for extraterrestrial life. We conducted a data-driven bibliographic survey on the astrobiology literature to identify emerging research trends with marine science for future synergies in the exploration for extraterrestrial life in exo-oceans. Based on search queries, we identified 2592 published items since 1963. The current literature falls into three major groups of terms focusing on (1) the search for life on Mars, (2) astrobiology within our Solar System with reference to icy moons and their exo-oceans, and (3) astronomical and biological parameters for planetary habitability. We also identified that the most prominent research keywords form three key-groups focusing on (1) using terrestrial environments as proxies for Martian environments, centred on extremophiles and biosignatures, (2) habitable zones outside of "Goldilocks" orbital ranges, centred on ice planets, and (3) the atmosphere, magnetic field, and geology in relation to planets' habitable conditions, centred on water-based oceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Aguzzi
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICM)—CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; (N.J.R.); (D.C.); (G.P.)
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; (S.S.); (S.M.)
| | - Javier Cuadros
- Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5D, UK;
| | - Lewis Dartnell
- School of Life Sciences, University of Westminster, 115 New Cavendish St, London W1W 6UW, UK;
| | - Corrado Costa
- Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi Dell’Economia Agraria—Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy; (C.C.); (S.V.)
| | - Simona Violino
- Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi Dell’Economia Agraria—Centro di Ricerca Ingegneria e Trasformazioni Agroalimentari, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy; (C.C.); (S.V.)
| | - Loredana Canfora
- Consiglio per la Ricerca in Agricoltura e l’Analisi dell’economia Agraria—Centro di Ricerca Agricoltura e Ambiente, 00182 Roma, Italy;
| | - Roberto Danovaro
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marcs (UNIVPM), 60131 Ancona, Italy;
| | - Nathan Jack Robinson
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICM)—CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; (N.J.R.); (D.C.); (G.P.)
| | - Donato Giovannelli
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Naples, Italy;
- National Research Council—Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnologies (CNR-IRBIM), 60125 Ancona, Italy
- Department of Marine and Coastal Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
- Marine Chemistry, Geochemistry Department—Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Falmouth, MA 02543, USA
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo 152-8552, Japan
| | - Sascha Flögel
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, 24106 Kiel, Germany;
| | - Sergio Stefanni
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; (S.S.); (S.M.)
| | | | - Simone Marini
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy; (S.S.); (S.M.)
- Institute of Marine Sciences, National Research Council of Italy (CNR-ISMAR), 19032 La Spezia, Italy
| | - Giacomo Picardi
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICM)—CSIC, 08003 Barcelona, Spain; (N.J.R.); (D.C.); (G.P.)
| | - Bernard Foing
- Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081-1087, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
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5
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Coskun ÖK, Gomez-Saez GV, Beren M, Özcan D, Günay SD, Elkin V, Hoşgörmez H, Einsiedl F, Eisenreich W, Orsi WD. Quantifying genome-specific carbon fixation in a 750-meter deep subsurface hydrothermal microbial community. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2024; 100:fiae062. [PMID: 38632042 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiae062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Dissolved inorganic carbon has been hypothesized to stimulate microbial chemoautotrophic activity as a biological sink in the carbon cycle of deep subsurface environments. Here, we tested this hypothesis using quantitative DNA stable isotope probing of metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) at multiple 13C-labeled bicarbonate concentrations in hydrothermal fluids from a 750-m deep subsurface aquifer in the Biga Peninsula (Turkey). The diversity of microbial populations assimilating 13C-labeled bicarbonate was significantly different at higher bicarbonate concentrations, and could be linked to four separate carbon-fixation pathways encoded within 13C-labeled MAGs. Microbial populations encoding the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle had the highest contribution to carbon fixation across all bicarbonate concentrations tested, spanning 1-10 mM. However, out of all the active carbon-fixation pathways detected, MAGs affiliated with the phylum Aquificae encoding the reverse tricarboxylic acid (rTCA) pathway were the only microbial populations that exhibited an increased 13C-bicarbonate assimilation under increasing bicarbonate concentrations. Our study provides the first experimental data supporting predictions that increased bicarbonate concentrations may promote chemoautotrophy via the rTCA cycle and its biological sink for deep subsurface inorganic carbon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ömer K Coskun
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Richard-Wagner Straße 10, 80333 Munich, Germany
| | - Gonzalo V Gomez-Saez
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Richard-Wagner Straße 10, 80333 Munich, Germany
- GeoBio-Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Richard-Wagner Straße 10, 80333 Munich, Germany
| | - Murat Beren
- Department of Geological Engineering, Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa, Büyükçekmece Campus, Block G, Floor 5, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Doğacan Özcan
- Department of Geological Engineering, Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa, Büyükçekmece Campus, Block G, Floor 5, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Suna D Günay
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Richard-Wagner Straße 10, 80333 Munich, Germany
| | - Viktor Elkin
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Richard-Wagner Straße 10, 80333 Munich, Germany
| | - Hakan Hoşgörmez
- Department of Geological Engineering, Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa, Büyükçekmece Campus, Block G, Floor 5, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Florian Einsiedl
- Chair of Hydrogeology, School of Engineering and Design, Technical University Munich, Arcisstraße 21, 80333 Munich, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Eisenreich
- Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Department Chemie, Technische Universität München, Lichtenbergstraße, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - William D Orsi
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Richard-Wagner Straße 10, 80333 Munich, Germany
- GeoBio-Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Richard-Wagner Straße 10, 80333 Munich, Germany
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6
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Giuntoli F, Menegon L, Siron G, Cognigni F, Leroux H, Compagnoni R, Rossi M, Vitale Brovarone A. Methane-hydrogen-rich fluid migration may trigger seismic failure in subduction zones at forearc depths. Nat Commun 2024; 15:480. [PMID: 38212306 PMCID: PMC10784519 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44641-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Metamorphic fluids, faults, and shear zones are carriers of carbon from the deep Earth to shallower reservoirs. Some of these fluids are reduced and transport energy sources, like H2 and light hydrocarbons. Mechanisms and pathways capable of transporting these deep energy sources towards shallower reservoirs remain unidentified. Here we present geological evidence of failure of mechanically strong rocks due to the accumulation of CH4-H2-rich fluids at deep forearc depths, which ultimately reached supralithostatic pore fluid pressure. These fluids originated from adjacent reduction of carbonates by H2-rich fluids during serpentinization at eclogite-to-blueschist-facies conditions. Thermodynamic modeling predicts that the production and accumulation of CH4-H2-rich aqueous fluids can produce fluid overpressure more easily than carbon-poor and CO2-rich aqueous fluids. This study provides evidence for the migration of deep Earth energy sources along tectonic discontinuities, and suggests causal relationships with brittle failure of hard rock types that may trigger seismic activity at forearc depths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Giuntoli
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Luca Menegon
- The Njord Centre, Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Guillaume Siron
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Flavio Cognigni
- Department of Basic and Applied Sciences for Engineering (SBAI), Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Hugues Leroux
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, INRAE, Centrale Lille, UMR 8207, UMET, Unité Matériaux et Transformations, Lille, France
| | - Roberto Compagnoni
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Marco Rossi
- Department of Basic and Applied Sciences for Engineering (SBAI), Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Alberto Vitale Brovarone
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, Università degli Studi di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
- Sorbonne Université, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, UMR CNRS 7590, IRD, Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, IMPMC, Paris, France.
- Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources, National Research Council of Italy, Pisa, Italy.
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7
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Paul R, Rogers TJ, Fullerton KM, Selci M, Cascone M, Stokes MH, Steen AD, de Moor JM, Chiodi A, Stefánsson A, Halldórsson SA, Ramirez CJ, Jessen GL, Barry PH, Cordone A, Giovannelli D, Lloyd KG. Complex organic matter degradation by secondary consumers in chemolithoautotrophy-based subsurface geothermal ecosystems. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0281277. [PMID: 37594978 PMCID: PMC10437873 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbial communities in terrestrial geothermal systems often contain chemolithoautotrophs with well-characterized distributions and metabolic capabilities. However, the extent to which organic matter produced by these chemolithoautotrophs supports heterotrophs remains largely unknown. Here we compared the abundance and activity of peptidases and carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZymes) that are predicted to be extracellular identified in metagenomic assemblies from 63 springs in the Central American and the Andean convergent margin (Argentinian backarc of the Central Volcanic Zone), as well as the plume-influenced spreading center in Iceland. All assemblies contain two orders of magnitude more peptidases than CAZymes, suggesting that the microorganisms more often use proteins for their carbon and/or nitrogen acquisition instead of complex sugars. The CAZy families in highest abundance are GH23 and CBM50, and the most abundant peptidase families are M23 and C26, all four of which degrade peptidoglycan found in bacterial cells. This implies that the heterotrophic community relies on autochthonous dead cell biomass, rather than allochthonous plant matter, for organic material. Enzymes involved in the degradation of cyanobacterial- and algal-derived compounds are in lower abundance at every site, with volcanic sites having more enzymes degrading cyanobacterial compounds and non-volcanic sites having more enzymes degrading algal compounds. Activity assays showed that many of these enzyme classes are active in these samples. High temperature sites (> 80°C) had similar extracellular carbon-degrading enzymes regardless of their province, suggesting a less well-developed population of secondary consumers at these sites, possibly connected with the limited extent of the subsurface biosphere in these high temperature sites. We conclude that in < 80°C springs, chemolithoautotrophic production supports heterotrophs capable of degrading a wide range of organic compounds that do not vary by geological province, even though the taxonomic and respiratory repertoire of chemolithoautotrophs and heterotrophs differ greatly across these regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raegan Paul
- Microbiology Department, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States of America
| | - Timothy J. Rogers
- Microbiology Department, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States of America
| | - Kate M. Fullerton
- Microbiology Department, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States of America
| | - Matteo Selci
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy
| | - Martina Cascone
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy
| | - Murray H. Stokes
- Microbiology Department, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States of America
| | - Andrew D. Steen
- Microbiology Department, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States of America
| | - J. Maarten de Moor
- Observatorio Volcanológico y Sismológico de Costa Rica (OVSICORI) Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States of America
| | - Agostina Chiodi
- Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA (IBIGEO, UNSa-CONICET), Salta, Argentina
| | - Andri Stefánsson
- NordVulk, Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | | | | | - Gerdhard L. Jessen
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
- Center for Oceanographic Research COPAS COASTAL, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Peter H. Barry
- Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, United States of America
| | - Angelina Cordone
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy
| | - Donato Giovannelli
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy
- Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, United States of America
- National Research Council–Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnologies—CNR-IRBIM, Ancona, Italy
- Department of Marine and Coastal Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, United States of America
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Karen G. Lloyd
- Microbiology Department, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States of America
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8
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Bekaert DV, Barry PH, Broadley MW, Byrne DJ, Marty B, Ramírez CJ, de Moor JM, Rodriguez A, Hudak MR, Subhas AV, Halldórsson SA, Stefánsson A, Caracausi A, Lloyd KG, Giovannelli D, Seltzer AM. Ultrahigh-precision noble gas isotope analyses reveal pervasive subsurface fractionation in hydrothermal systems. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg2566. [PMID: 37058557 PMCID: PMC10104464 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg2566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Mantle-derived noble gases in volcanic gases are powerful tracers of terrestrial volatile evolution, as they contain mixtures of both primordial (from Earth's accretion) and secondary (e.g., radiogenic) isotope signals that characterize the composition of deep Earth. However, volcanic gases emitted through subaerial hydrothermal systems also contain contributions from shallow reservoirs (groundwater, crust, atmosphere). Deconvolving deep and shallow source signals is critical for robust interpretations of mantle-derived signals. Here, we use a novel dynamic mass spectrometry technique to measure argon, krypton, and xenon isotopes in volcanic gas with ultrahigh precision. Data from Iceland, Germany, United States (Yellowstone, Salton Sea), Costa Rica, and Chile show that subsurface isotope fractionation within hydrothermal systems is a globally pervasive and previously unrecognized process causing substantial nonradiogenic Ar-Kr-Xe isotope variations. Quantitatively accounting for this process is vital for accurately interpreting mantle-derived volatile (e.g., noble gas and nitrogen) signals, with profound implications for our understanding of terrestrial volatile evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- David V. Bekaert
- Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, CRPG, F-54000 Nancy, France
| | - Peter H. Barry
- Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Michael W. Broadley
- Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, CRPG, F-54000 Nancy, France
| | - David J. Byrne
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, CRPG, F-54000 Nancy, France
| | - Bernard Marty
- Université de Lorraine, CNRS, CRPG, F-54000 Nancy, France
| | - Carlos J. Ramírez
- Servicio Geológico Ambiental (SeGeoAm) Heredia, Santo Domingo, Costa Rica
| | - J. Maarten de Moor
- Observatorio Vulcanológico y Sismológico de Costa Rica Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA
| | - Alejandro Rodriguez
- Observatorio Vulcanológico y Sismológico de Costa Rica Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Michael R. Hudak
- Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Adam V. Subhas
- Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | | | - Andri Stefánsson
- NordVulk, Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Antonio Caracausi
- Instituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione di Palermo, 90146 Palermo, Italy
- University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Karen G. Lloyd
- Microbiology Department, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Donato Giovannelli
- Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- Institute for Marine Biological and Biotechnological Resources, National Research Council of Italy, Ancona, Italy
- Department of Marine and Coastal Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Alan M. Seltzer
- Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
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9
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Upin HE, Newell DL, Colman DR, Boyd ES. Tectonic settings influence the geochemical and microbial diversity of Peru hot springs. COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT 2023; 4:112. [PMID: 38665187 PMCID: PMC11041657 DOI: 10.1038/s43247-023-00787-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Tectonic processes control hot spring temperature and geochemistry, yet how this in turn shapes microbial community composition is poorly understood. Here, we present geochemical and 16 S rRNA gene sequencing data from 14 hot springs from contrasting styles of subduction along a convergent margin in the Peruvian Andes. We find that tectonic influence on hot spring temperature and geochemistry shapes microbial community composition. Hot springs in the flat-slab and back-arc regions of the subduction system had similar pH but differed in geochemistry and microbiology, with significant relationships between microbial community composition, geochemistry, and geologic setting. Flat-slab hot springs were chemically heterogeneous, had modest surface temperatures (up to 45 °C), and were dominated by members of the metabolically diverse phylum Proteobacteria. Whereas, back-arc hot springs were geochemically more homogenous, exhibited high concentrations of dissolved metals and gases, had higher surface temperatures (up to 81 °C), and host thermophilic archaeal and bacterial lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather E. Upin
- Department of Geosciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT USA
| | | | - Daniel R. Colman
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT USA
| | - Eric S. Boyd
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT USA
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10
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Rogers TJ, Buongiorno J, Jessen GL, Schrenk MO, Fordyce JA, de Moor JM, Ramírez CJ, Barry PH, Yücel M, Selci M, Cordone A, Giovannelli D, Lloyd KG. Chemolithoautotroph distributions across the subsurface of a convergent margin. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023; 17:140-150. [PMID: 36257972 PMCID: PMC9751116 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-022-01331-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Subducting oceanic crusts release fluids rich in biologically relevant compounds into the overriding plate, fueling subsurface chemolithoautotrophic ecosystems. To understand the impact of subsurface geochemistry on microbial communities, we collected fluid and sediments from 14 natural springs across a ~200 km transect across the Costa Rican convergent margin and performed shotgun metagenomics. The resulting 404 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) cluster into geologically distinct regions based on MAG abundance patterns: outer forearc-only (25% of total relative abundance), forearc/arc-only (38% of total relative abundance), and delocalized (37% of total relative abundance) clusters. In the outer forearc, Thermodesulfovibrionia, Candidatus Bipolaricaulia, and Firmicutes have hydrogenotrophic sulfate reduction and Wood-Ljungdahl (WL) carbon fixation pathways. In the forearc/arc, Anaerolineae, Ca. Bipolaricaulia, and Thermodesulfovibrionia have sulfur oxidation, nitrogen cycling, microaerophilic respiration, and WL, while Aquificae have aerobic sulfur oxidation and reverse tricarboxylic acid carbon fixation pathway. Transformation-based canonical correspondence analysis shows that MAG distribution corresponds to concentrations of aluminum, iron, nickel, dissolved inorganic carbon, and phosphate. While delocalized MAGs appear surface-derived, the subsurface chemolithoautotrophic, metabolic, and taxonomic landscape varies by the availability of minerals/metals and volcanically derived inorganic carbon. However, the WL pathway persists across all samples, suggesting that this versatile, energy-efficient carbon fixation pathway helps shape convergent margin subsurface ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joy Buongiorno
- Division of Natural Sciences, Maryville College, Maryville, TN, USA
| | - Gerdhard L Jessen
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
- Center for Oceanographic Research COPAS COASTAL, Universidad de Concepción, Valdivia, Chile
| | | | | | - J Maarten de Moor
- National University of Costa Rica, Heredia, Costa Rica
- University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | | | - Peter H Barry
- Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Mustafa Yücel
- Institute of Marine Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Erdemli, Turkey
| | - Matteo Selci
- Department of Biology, University of Naples -Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Angela Cordone
- Department of Biology, University of Naples -Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Donato Giovannelli
- Department of Biology, University of Naples -Federico II, Naples, Italy
- Department of Marine and Coastal Science, Rutgers University, Rutgers, NJ, USA
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
- National Research Council - Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnologies - CNR-IRBIM, Ancona, Italy
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11
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Giovannelli D, Barry PH, de Moor JM, Jessen GL, Schrenk MO, Lloyd KG. Sampling across large-scale geological gradients to study geosphere-biosphere interactions. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:998133. [PMID: 36386678 PMCID: PMC9659755 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.998133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite being one of the largest microbial ecosystems on Earth, many basic open questions remain about how life exists and thrives in the deep subsurface biosphere. Much of this ambiguity is due to the fact that it is exceedingly difficult and often prohibitively expensive to directly sample the deep subsurface, requiring elaborate drilling programs or access to deep mines. We propose a sampling approach which involves collection of a large suite of geological, geochemical, and biological data from numerous deeply-sourced seeps-including lower temperature sites-over large spatial scales. This enables research into interactions between the geosphere and the biosphere, expanding the classical local approach to regional or even planetary scales. Understanding the interplay between geology, geochemistry and biology on such scales is essential for building subsurface ecosystem models and extrapolating the ecological and biogeochemical roles of subsurface microbes beyond single site interpretations. This approach has been used successfully across the Central and South American Convergent Margins, and can be applied more broadly to other types of geological regions (i.e., rifting, intraplate volcanic, and hydrothermal settings). Working across geological spatial scales inherently encompasses broad temporal scales (e.g., millions of years of volatile cycling across a convergent margin), providing access to a framework for interpreting evolution and ecosystem functions through deep time and space. We propose that tectonic interactions are fundamental to maintaining planetary habitability through feedbacks that stabilize the ecosphere, and deep biosphere studies are fundamental to understanding geo-bio feedbacks on these processes on a global scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donato Giovannelli
- Department of Biology, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy
- Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnologies, National Research Council, CNR-IRBIM, Ancona, Italy
- Department of Marine and Coastal Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
- Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, MA, United States
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Peter H. Barry
- Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, MA, United States
| | - J. Maarten de Moor
- Observatorio Volcanológico y Sismológico de Costa Rica (OVSICORI), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Gerdhard L. Jessen
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
- Center for Oceanographic Research COPAS COASTAL, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Matthew O. Schrenk
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Karen G. Lloyd
- Microbiology Department, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, United States
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12
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Ternieten L, Früh‐Green GL, Bernasconi SM. Carbon Geochemistry of the Active Serpentinization Site at the Wadi Tayin Massif: Insights From the ICDP Oman Drilling Project: Phase II. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. SOLID EARTH 2021; 126:e2021JB022712. [PMID: 35859726 PMCID: PMC9285459 DOI: 10.1029/2021jb022712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
A large part of the hydrated oceanic lithosphere consists of serpentinites exposed in ophiolites. Serpentinites constitute reactive chemical and thermal systems and potentially represent an effective sink for CO2. Understanding carbonation mechanisms within ophiolites are almost exclusively based on studies of outcrops, which can limit the interpretation of fossil hydrothermal systems. We present stable and radiogenic carbon isotope data that provide insights into the isotopic trends and fluid evolution of peridotite carbonation in ICDP Oman Drilling Project drill holes BA1B (400-m deep) and BA3A (300-m deep). Geochemical investigations of the carbonates in serpentinites indicate formation in the last 50 kyr, implying a distinctly different phase of alteration than the initial oceanic hydration and serpentinization of the Samail Ophiolite. The oldest carbonates (∼31 to >50 kyr) are localized calcite, dolomite, and aragonite veins, formed between 26°C and 43°C and related to focused fluid flow. Subsequent pervasive small amounts of dispersed carbonate precipitated in the last 1,000 years. Macroscopic brecciation and veining of the peridotite indicate that carbonation is influenced by tectonic features allowing infiltration of fluids over extended periods and at different structural levels such as along fracture planes and micro-fractures and grain boundaries, causing large-scale hydration of the ophiolite. The formation of dispersed carbonate is related to percolating fluids with δ 18O lower than modern ground and meteoric water. Our study shows that radiocarbon investigations are an essential tool to interpret the carbonation history and that stable oxygen and carbon isotopes alone can result in ambiguous interpretations.
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13
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High 3He/ 4He in central Panama reveals a distal connection to the Galápagos plume. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2110997118. [PMID: 34799449 PMCID: PMC8617460 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2110997118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We report the discovery of anomalously high 3He/4He in “cold” geothermal fluids of central Panama, far from any active volcanoes. Combined with independent constraints from lava geochemistry, mantle source geochemical anomalies in Central America require a Galápagos plume contribution that is not derived from hotspot track recycling. Instead, these signals likely originate from large-scale transport of Galápagos plume material at sublithospheric depths. Mantle flow modeling and geophysical observations further indicate these geochemical anomalies could result from a Galápagos plume-influenced asthenospheric “mantle wind” that is actively “blowing” through a slab window beneath central Panama. The lateral transport of plume material represents a potentially widespread yet underappreciated mechanism that scatters enriched geochemical signatures in mantle domains far from plumes. It is well established that mantle plumes are the main conduits for upwelling geochemically enriched material from Earth's deep interior. The fashion and extent to which lateral flow processes at shallow depths may disperse enriched mantle material far (>1,000 km) from vertical plume conduits, however, remain poorly constrained. Here, we report He and C isotope data from 65 hydrothermal fluids from the southern Central America Margin (CAM) which reveal strikingly high 3He/4He (up to 8.9RA) in low-temperature (≤50 °C) geothermal springs of central Panama that are not associated with active volcanism. Following radiogenic correction, these data imply a mantle source 3He/4He >10.3RA (and potentially up to 26RA, similar to Galápagos hotspot lavas) markedly greater than the upper mantle range (8 ± 1RA). Lava geochemistry (Pb isotopes, Nb/U, and Ce/Pb) and geophysical constraints show that high 3He/4He values in central Panama are likely derived from the infiltration of a Galápagos plume–like mantle through a slab window that opened ∼8 Mya. Two potential transport mechanisms can explain the connection between the Galápagos plume and the slab window: 1) sublithospheric transport of Galápagos plume material channeled by lithosphere thinning along the Panama Fracture Zone or 2) active upwelling of Galápagos plume material blown by a “mantle wind” toward the CAM. We present a model of global mantle flow that supports the second mechanism, whereby most of the eastward transport of Galápagos plume material occurs in the shallow asthenosphere. These findings underscore the potential for lateral mantle flow to transport mantle geochemical heterogeneities thousands of kilometers away from plume conduits.
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14
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Chen C, Förster MW, Foley SF, Liu Y. Massive carbon storage in convergent margins initiated by subduction of limestone. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4463. [PMID: 34294696 PMCID: PMC8298627 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24750-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Remobilization of sedimentary carbonate in subduction zones modulates arc volcanism emissions and thus Earth’s climate over geological timescales. Although limestones (or chalk) are thought to be the major carbon reservoir subducted to subarc depths, their fate is still unclear. Here we present high-pressure reaction experiments between impure limestone (7.4 wt.% clay) and dunite at 1.3–2.7 GPa to constrain the melting behaviour of subducted natural limestone in contact with peridotite. The results show that although clay impurities significantly depress the solidus of limestone, melting will not occur whilst limestones are still part of the subducting slab. Buoyancy calculations suggest that most of these limestones would form solid-state diapirs intruding into the mantle wedge, resulting in limited carbon flux to the deep mantle (< ~10 Mt C y−1). Less than 20% melting within the mantle wedge indicates that most limestones remain stable and are stored in subarc lithosphere, resulting in massive carbon storage in convergent margins considering their high carbon flux (~21.4 Mt C y−1). Assimilation and outgassing of these carbonates during arc magma ascent may dominate the carbon flux in volcanic arcs. Experiments and buoyancy calculations reveal that subduction of limestone results in massive carbon storage in arc lithosphere, forming an important carbon reservoir in convergent margins. Remobilization of this carbon reservoir during arc magma ascent may dominate carbon emissions at volcanic arcs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunfei Chen
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and ARC Centre of Excellence for Core to Crust Fluid Systems, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia. .,State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China.
| | - Michael W Förster
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and ARC Centre of Excellence for Core to Crust Fluid Systems, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia.,Research School of Earth Sciences, Australia National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Stephen F Foley
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and ARC Centre of Excellence for Core to Crust Fluid Systems, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, Australia.,Research School of Earth Sciences, Australia National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Yongsheng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China.
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15
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Farsang S, Louvel M, Zhao C, Mezouar M, Rosa AD, Widmer RN, Feng X, Liu J, Redfern SAT. Deep carbon cycle constrained by carbonate solubility. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4311. [PMID: 34262043 PMCID: PMC8280166 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24533-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Earth's deep carbon cycle affects atmospheric CO2, climate, and habitability. Owing to the extreme solubility of CaCO3, aqueous fluids released from the subducting slab could extract all carbon from the slab. However, recycling efficiency is estimated at only around 40%. Data from carbonate inclusions, petrology, and Mg isotope systematics indicate Ca2+ in carbonates is replaced by Mg2+ and other cations during subduction. Here we determined the solubility of dolomite [CaMg(CO3)2] and rhodochrosite (MnCO3), and put an upper limit on that of magnesite (MgCO3) under subduction zone conditions. Solubility decreases at least two orders of magnitude as carbonates become Mg-rich. This decreased solubility, coupled with heterogeneity of carbon and water subduction, may explain discrepancies in carbon recycling estimates. Over a range of slab settings, we find aqueous dissolution responsible for mobilizing 10 to 92% of slab carbon. Globally, aqueous fluids mobilise [Formula: see text]% ([Formula: see text] Mt/yr) of subducted carbon from subducting slabs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Farsang
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EQ UK
| | - Marion Louvel
- grid.5949.10000 0001 2172 9288Institut für Mineralogie, WWU Münster, Münster, 48149 Germany
| | - Chaoshuai Zhao
- grid.503238.f0000 0004 7423 8214Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research (HPSTAR), Beijing, 100094 China
| | - Mohamed Mezouar
- grid.5398.70000 0004 0641 6373European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble, 38000 France
| | - Angelika D. Rosa
- grid.5398.70000 0004 0641 6373European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, Grenoble, 38000 France
| | - Remo N. Widmer
- grid.7354.50000 0001 2331 3059Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Mechanics of Materials and Nanostructures, Feuerwerkerstrasse 39, Thun, 3602 Switzerland
| | - Xiaolei Feng
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EQ UK ,grid.503238.f0000 0004 7423 8214Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research (HPSTAR), Beijing, 100094 China
| | - Jin Liu
- grid.503238.f0000 0004 7423 8214Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research (HPSTAR), Beijing, 100094 China
| | - Simon A. T. Redfern
- grid.59025.3b0000 0001 2224 0361Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798 Singapore
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16
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Zhang M, Guo Z, Xu S, Barry PH, Sano Y, Zhang L, Halldórsson SA, Chen AT, Cheng Z, Liu CQ, Li SL, Lang YC, Zheng G, Li Z, Li L, Li Y. Linking deeply-sourced volatile emissions to plateau growth dynamics in southeastern Tibetan Plateau. Nat Commun 2021; 12:4157. [PMID: 34230487 PMCID: PMC8260613 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24415-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The episodic growth of high-elevation orogenic plateaux is controlled by a series of geodynamic processes. However, determining the underlying mechanisms that drive plateau growth dynamics over geological history and constraining the depths at which growth originates, remains challenging. Here we present He-CO2-N2 systematics of hydrothermal fluids that reveal the existence of a lithospheric-scale fault system in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau, whereby multi-stage plateau growth occurred in the geological past and continues to the present. He isotopes provide unambiguous evidence for the involvement of mantle-scale dynamics in lateral expansion and localized surface uplift of the Tibetan Plateau. The excellent correlation between 3He/4He values and strain rates, along the strike of Indian indentation into Asia, suggests non-uniform distribution of stresses between the plateau boundary and interior, which modulate southeastward growth of the Tibetan Plateau within the context of India-Asia convergence. Our results demonstrate that deeply-sourced volatile geochemistry can be used to constrain deep dynamic processes involved in orogenic plateau growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maoliang Zhang
- grid.33763.320000 0004 1761 2484Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhengfu Guo
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing, China
| | - Sheng Xu
- grid.33763.320000 0004 1761 2484Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Peter H. Barry
- grid.56466.370000 0004 0504 7510Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA USA
| | - Yuji Sano
- grid.33763.320000 0004 1761 2484Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China ,grid.26999.3d0000 0001 2151 536XAtmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan ,grid.278276.e0000 0001 0659 9825Present Address: Center for Advanced Marine Core Research, Kochi University, Kochi, Japan
| | - Lihong Zhang
- grid.449571.a0000 0000 9663 2459School of Geology and Geomatics, Tianjin Chengjian University, Tianjin, China
| | - Sæmundur A. Halldórsson
- grid.14013.370000 0004 0640 0021NordVulk, Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Ai-Ti Chen
- grid.19188.390000 0004 0546 0241Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Zhihui Cheng
- grid.12981.330000 0001 2360 039XSchool of Earth Science and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Cong-Qiang Liu
- grid.33763.320000 0004 1761 2484Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Si-Liang Li
- grid.33763.320000 0004 1761 2484Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yun-Chao Lang
- grid.33763.320000 0004 1761 2484Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Guodong Zheng
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zhongping Li
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Liwu Li
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Ying Li
- grid.450296.c0000 0000 9558 2971Institute of Earthquake Forecasting, China Earthquake Administration, Beijing, China
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17
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Zhao R, Biddle JF. Helarchaeota and co-occurring sulfate-reducing bacteria in subseafloor sediments from the Costa Rica Margin. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2021; 1:25. [PMID: 36737514 PMCID: PMC9723726 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-021-00027-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Deep sediments host many archaeal lineages, including the Asgard superphylum which contains lineages predicted to require syntrophic partnerships. Our knowledge about sedimentary archaeal diversity and their metabolic pathways and syntrophic partners is still very limited. We present here new genomes of Helarchaeota and the co-occurring sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) recovered from organic-rich sediments off Costa Rica Margin. Phylogenetic analyses revealed three new metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) affiliating with Helarchaeota, each of which has three variants of the methyl-CoM reductase-like (MCR-like) complex that may enable them to oxidize short-chain alkanes anaerobically. These Helarchaeota have no multi-heme cytochromes but have Group 3b and Group 3c [NiFe] hydrogenases, and formate dehydrogenase, and therefore have the capacity to transfer the reducing equivalents (in the forms of hydrogen and formate) generated from alkane oxidation to external partners. We also recovered five MAGs of SRB affiliated with the class of Desulfobacteria, two of which showed relative abundances (represented by genome coverages) positively correlated with those of the three Helarchaeota. Genome analysis suggested that these SRB bacteria have the capacity of H2 and formate utilization and could facilitate electron transfers from other organisms by means of these reduced substances. Their co-occurrence and metabolic features suggest that Helarchaeota may metabolize synergistically with some SRB, and together exert an important influence on the carbon cycle by mitigating the hydrocarbon emission from sediments to the overlying ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Zhao
- School of Marine Science and Policy, University of Delaware, Lewes, DE, USA
| | - Jennifer F Biddle
- School of Marine Science and Policy, University of Delaware, Lewes, DE, USA.
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18
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Patwardhan S, Smedile F, Giovannelli D, Vetriani C. Metaproteogenomic Profiling of Chemosynthetic Microbial Biofilms Reveals Metabolic Flexibility During Colonization of a Shallow-Water Gas Vent. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:638300. [PMID: 33889140 PMCID: PMC8056087 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.638300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tor Caldara is a shallow-water gas vent located in the Mediterranean Sea, with active venting of CO2 and H2S. At Tor Caldara, filamentous microbial biofilms, mainly composed of Epsilon- and Gammaproteobacteria, grow on substrates exposed to the gas venting. In this study, we took a metaproteogenomic approach to identify the metabolic potential and in situ expression of central metabolic pathways at two stages of biofilm maturation. Our findings indicate that inorganic reduced sulfur species are the main electron donors and CO2 the main carbon source for the filamentous biofilms, which conserve energy by oxygen and nitrate respiration, fix dinitrogen gas and detoxify heavy metals. Three metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), representative of key members in the biofilm community, were also recovered. Metaproteomic data show that metabolically active chemoautotrophic sulfide-oxidizing members of the Epsilonproteobacteria dominated the young microbial biofilms, while Gammaproteobacteria become prevalent in the established community. The co-expression of different pathways for sulfide oxidation by these two classes of bacteria suggests exposure to different sulfide concentrations within the biofilms, as well as fine-tuned adaptations of the enzymatic complexes. Taken together, our findings demonstrate a shift in the taxonomic composition and associated metabolic activity of these biofilms in the course of the colonization process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sushmita Patwardhan
- Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - Francesco Smedile
- Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, United States.,National Research Council, Institute for Coastal Marine Environment, Messina, Italy
| | - Donato Giovannelli
- Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, United States.,Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II," Naples, Italy.,National Research Council, Institute for Marine Biological and Biotechnological Resources, Ancona, Italy.,Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Costantino Vetriani
- Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, United States.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
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19
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Stewart EM, Ague JJ. Pervasive subduction zone devolatilization recycles CO 2 into the forearc. Nat Commun 2020; 11:6220. [PMID: 33277477 PMCID: PMC7718257 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19993-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The fate of subducted CO2 remains the subject of widespread disagreement, with different models predicting either wholesale (up to 99%) decarbonation of the subducting slab or extremely limited carbon loss and, consequently, massive deep subduction of CO2. The fluid history of subducted rocks lies at the heart of this debate: rocks that experience significant infiltration by a water-bearing fluid may release orders of magnitude more CO2 than rocks that are metamorphosed in a closed chemical system. Numerical models make a wide range of predictions regarding water mobility, and further progress has been limited by a lack of direct observations. Here we present a comprehensive field-based study of decarbonation efficiency in a subducting slab (Cyclades, Greece), and show that ~40% to ~65% of the CO2 in subducting crust is released via metamorphic decarbonation reactions at forearc depths. This result precludes extensive deep subduction of most CO2 and suggests that the mantle has become more depleted in carbon over geologic time.
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Affiliation(s)
- E M Stewart
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, 210 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
- California Institute of Technology, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, 1200 E California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA.
| | - Jay J Ague
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, 210 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
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20
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Subduction hides high-pressure sources of energy that may feed the deep subsurface biosphere. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3880. [PMID: 32759942 PMCID: PMC7406650 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17342-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Geological sources of H2 and abiotic CH4 have had a critical role in the evolution of our planet and the development of life and sustainability of the deep subsurface biosphere. Yet the origins of these sources are largely unconstrained. Hydration of mantle rocks, or serpentinization, is widely recognized to produce H2 and favour the abiotic genesis of CH4 in shallow settings. However, deeper sources of H2 and abiotic CH4 are missing from current models, which mainly invoke more oxidized fluids at convergent margins. Here we combine data from exhumed subduction zone high-pressure rocks and thermodynamic modelling to show that deep serpentinization (40–80 km) generates significant amounts of H2 and abiotic CH4, as well as H2S and NH3. Our results suggest that subduction, worldwide, hosts large sources of deep H2 and abiotic CH4, potentially providing energy to the overlying subsurface biosphere in the forearc regions of convergent margins. Geological sources of H2 and abiotic CH4 have had a critical role in the evolution of life and sustainability of the deep subsurface biosphere, yet the origins of these sources remain largely unconstrained. Here the authors show that deep serpentinization (40–80 km) during subduction generates significant amounts of H2 and abiotic CH4, potentially providing energy to the overlying subsurface biosphere.
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21
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Bekaert DV, Broadley MW, Marty B. The origin and fate of volatile elements on Earth revisited in light of noble gas data obtained from comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5796. [PMID: 32242104 PMCID: PMC7118078 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62650-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The origin of terrestrial volatiles remains one of the most puzzling questions in planetary sciences. The timing and composition of chondritic and cometary deliveries to Earth has remained enigmatic due to the paucity of reliable measurements of cometary material. This work uses recently measured volatile elemental ratios and noble gas isotope data from comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P/C-G), in combination with chondritic data from the literature, to reconstruct the composition of Earth’s ancient atmosphere. Comets are found to have contributed ~20% of atmospheric heavy noble gases (i.e., Kr and Xe) but limited amounts of other volatile elements (water, halogens and likely organic materials) to Earth. These cometary noble gases were likely mixed with chondritic - and not solar - sources to form the atmosphere. We show that an ancient atmosphere composed of chondritic and cometary volatiles is more enriched in Xe relative to the modern atmosphere, requiring that 8–12 times the present-day inventory of Xe was lost to space. This potentially resolves the long-standing mystery of Earth’s “missing xenon”, with regards to both Xe elemental depletion and isotopic fractionation in the atmosphere. The inferred Kr/H2O and Xe/H2O of the initial atmosphere suggest that Earth’s surface volatiles might not have been fully delivered by the late accretion of volatile-rich carbonaceous chondrites. Instead, “dry” materials akin to enstatite chondrites potentially constituted a significant source of chondritic volatiles now residing on the Earth’s surface. We outline the working hypotheses, implications and limitations of this model in the last section of this contribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- David V Bekaert
- Centre de Recherches Pétrographiques et Géochimiques, UMR 7358 CNRS - Université de Lorraine, 15 rue Notre Dame des Pauvres, BP 20, 54501, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
| | - Michael W Broadley
- Centre de Recherches Pétrographiques et Géochimiques, UMR 7358 CNRS - Université de Lorraine, 15 rue Notre Dame des Pauvres, BP 20, 54501, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
| | - Bernard Marty
- Centre de Recherches Pétrographiques et Géochimiques, UMR 7358 CNRS - Université de Lorraine, 15 rue Notre Dame des Pauvres, BP 20, 54501, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France
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Fischer TP, Arellano S, Carn S, Aiuppa A, Galle B, Allard P, Lopez T, Shinohara H, Kelly P, Werner C, Cardellini C, Chiodini G. The emissions of CO 2 and other volatiles from the world's subaerial volcanoes. Sci Rep 2019; 9:18716. [PMID: 31822683 PMCID: PMC6904619 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-54682-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Volcanoes are the main pathway to the surface for volatiles that are stored within the Earth. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is of particular interest because of its potential for climate forcing. Understanding the balance of CO2 that is transferred from the Earth’s surface to the Earth’s interior, hinges on accurate quantification of the long-term emissions of volcanic CO2 to the atmosphere. Here we present an updated evaluation of the world’s volcanic CO2 emissions that takes advantage of recent improvements in satellite-based monitoring of sulfur dioxide, the establishment of ground-based networks for semi-continuous CO2-SO2 gas sensing and a new approach to estimate key volcanic gas parameters based on magma compositions. Our results reveal a global volcanic CO2 flux of 51.3 ± 5.7 Tg CO2/y (11.7 × 1011 mol CO2/y) for non-eruptive degassing and 1.8 ± 0.9 Tg/y for eruptive degassing during the period from 2005 to 2015. While lower than recent estimates, this global volcanic flux implies that a significant proportion of the surface-derived CO2 subducted into the Earth’s mantle is either stored below the arc crust, is efficiently consumed by microbial activity before entering the deeper parts of the subduction system, or becomes recycled into the deep mantle to potentially form diamonds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias P Fischer
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA.
| | - Santiago Arellano
- Department of Space, Earth and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Simon Carn
- Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
| | - Alessandro Aiuppa
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e del Mare (DiSTeM), Università di Palermo, 36 90123, Palermo, Italy
| | - Bo Galle
- Department of Space, Earth and Environment, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Patrick Allard
- Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP), Université de Paris, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Taryn Lopez
- Geophysical Institute, Alaska Volcano Observatory, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA
| | | | - Peter Kelly
- U.S. Geological Survey, David A. Johnston Cascades Volcano Observatory, Vancouver, WA, 98683, USA
| | - Cynthia Werner
- U.S. Geological Survey, David A. Johnston Cascades Volcano Observatory, Vancouver, WA, 98683, USA
| | - Carlo Cardellini
- Dipartimento di Fisica e Geologia, Università di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
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23
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Barry PH, Nakagawa M, Giovannelli D, Maarten de Moor J, Schrenk M, Seltzer AM, Manini E, Fattorini D, di Carlo M, Regoli F, Fullerton K, Lloyd KG. Helium, inorganic and organic carbon isotopes of fluids and gases across the Costa Rica convergent margin. Sci Data 2019; 6:284. [PMID: 31767867 PMCID: PMC6961234 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-019-0302-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2017, fluid and gas samples were collected across the Costa Rican Arc. He and Ne isotopes, C isotopes as well as total organic and inorganic carbon concentrations were measured. The samples (n = 24) from 2017 are accompanied by (n = 17) samples collected in 2008, 2010 and 2012. He-isotopes ranged from arc-like (6.8 RA) to crustal (0.5 RA). Measured dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) δ13CVPDB values varied from 3.55 to -21.57‰, with dissolved organic carbon (DOC) following the trends of DIC. Gas phase CO2 only occurs within ~20 km of the arc; δ13CVPDB values varied from -0.84 to -5.23‰. Onsite, pH, conductivity, temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) were measured; pH ranged from 0.9-10.0, conductivity from 200-91,900 μS/cm, temperatures from 23-89 °C and DO from 2-84%. Data were used to develop a model which suggests that ~91 ± 4.0% of carbon released from the slab/mantle beneath the Costa Rican forearc is sequestered within the crust by calcite deposition with an additional 3.3 ± 1.3% incorporated into autotrophic biomass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter H Barry
- Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA.
| | - Mayuko Nakagawa
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute for Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Donato Giovannelli
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute for Technology, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy.,Department of Marine and Coastal Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.,Institute for Marine Biological and Biotechnological Resources, National Research Council of Italy, CNR-ISMAR, Ancona, Italy
| | - J Maarten de Moor
- Observatorio Volcanológico y Sismológico de Costa Rica (OVSICORI), Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Matthew Schrenk
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Alan M Seltzer
- Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Elena Manini
- Institute for Marine Biological and Biotechnological Resources, National Research Council of Italy, CNR-ISMAR, Ancona, Italy
| | - Daniele Fattorini
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente (DISVA), Università Politecnica delle Marche (UNIVPM), Ancona, Italy.,CoNISMa, Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario Scienze del Mare, Rome, Italy
| | - Marta di Carlo
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente (DISVA), Università Politecnica delle Marche (UNIVPM), Ancona, Italy
| | - Francesco Regoli
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente (DISVA), Università Politecnica delle Marche (UNIVPM), Ancona, Italy.,CoNISMa, Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario Scienze del Mare, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Karen G Lloyd
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
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Abstract
A hidden carbon cycle exists inside Earth. Every year, megatons of carbon disappear into subduction zones, affecting atmospheric carbon dioxide and oxygen over Earth's history. Here we discuss the processes that move carbon towards subduction zones and transform it into fluids, magmas, volcanic gases and diamonds. The carbon dioxide emitted from arc volcanoes is largely recycled from subducted microfossils, organic remains and carbonate precipitates. The type of carbon input and the efficiency with which carbon is remobilized in the subduction zone vary greatly around the globe, with every convergent margin providing a natural laboratory for tracing subducting carbon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terry Plank
- Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA.
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Braakman R. Evolution of cellular metabolism and the rise of a globally productive biosphere. Free Radic Biol Med 2019; 140:172-187. [PMID: 31082508 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2019.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Revised: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Metabolic processes in cells and chemical processes in the environment are fundamentally intertwined and have evolved in concert for most of Earth's existence. Here I argue that intrinsic properties of cellular metabolism imposed central constraints on the historical trajectories of biopsheric productivity and atmospheric oxygenation. Photosynthesis depends on iron, but iron is highly insoluble under the aerobic conditions produced by oxygenic photosynthesis. These counteracting constraints led to two major stages of Earth oxygenation. After a cyanobacteria-driven biospheric expansion near the Archean-Proterozoic boundary, productivity remained largely restricted to continental boundaries and shallow aquatic environments where weathering inputs made iron more accessible. The anoxic deep open ocean was rich in free iron during the Proterozoic, but this iron was largely inaccessible, partly because an otherwise nutrient-poor ocean was limiting to photosynthesis, but also because a photosynthetic expansion would have quenched its own iron supply. Near the Proterozoic-Phanerozoic boundary, bioenergetics innovations allowed eukaryotic photosynthesis to overcome these interconnected negative feedbacks and begin expanding into the deep open oceans and onto the continents, where nutrients are inherently harder to come by. Key insights into what drove the ecological rise of eukaryotic photosynthesis emerge from analyses of marine Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus, abundant marine picocyanobacteria whose ancestors colonized the oceans in the Neoproterozoic. The reconstructed evolution of this group reveals a sequence of innovations that ultimately produced a form of photosynthesis in Prochlorococcus that is more like that of green plant cells than other cyanobacteria. Innovations increased the energy flux of cells, thereby enhancing their ability to acquire sparse nutrients, and as by-product also increased the production of organic carbon waste. Some of these organic waste products had the ability to chelate iron and make it bioavailable, thereby indirectly pushing the oceans through a transition from an anoxic state rich in free iron to an oxygenated state with organic carbon-bound iron. Resulting conditions (and parallel processes on the continents) in turn led to a series of positive feedbacks that increased the availability of other nutrients, thereby promoting the rise of a globally productive biosphere. In addition to the occurrence of major biospheric expansions, the several hundred million-year periods around the Archean-Proterozoic and Proterozoic-Phanerozoic boundaries share a number of other parallels. Both epochs have also been linked to major carbon cycle perturbations and global glaciations, as well as changes in the nature of plate tectonics and increases in continental exposure and weathering. This suggests the dynamics of life and Earth are intimately intertwined across many levels and that general principles governed transitions in these coupled dynamics at both times in Earth history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rogier Braakman
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA; Department of Earth, Atmospheric & Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA.
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26
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Abstract
The exploration of the deep biosphere continues to reveal a great diversity of microorganisms, many of which remain poorly understood. This study provides a first look at the microbial community composition of the Costa Rica Margin sub-seafloor from two sites on the upper plate of the subduction zone, between the Cocos and Caribbean plates. Despite being in close geographical proximity, with similar lithologies, both sites show distinctions in the relative abundance of the archaeal domain and major microbial phyla, assessed using a pair of universal primers and supported by the sequencing of six metagenomes. Elusimicrobia, Chloroflexi, Aerophobetes, Actinobacteria, Lokiarchaeota, and Atribacteria were dominant phyla at Site 1378, and Bathyarchaeota, Chloroflexi, Hadesarchaeota, Aerophobetes, Elusimicrobia, and Lokiarchaeota were dominant at Site 1379. Correlations of microbial taxa with geochemistry were examined and notable relationships were seen with ammonia, sulfate, and depth. With deep sediments, there is always a concern that drilling technologies impact analyses due to contamination of the sediments via drilling fluid. Here, we use analysis of the drilling fluid in conjunction with the sediment analysis, to assess the level of contamination and remove any problematic sequences. In the majority of samples, we find the level of drilling fluid contamination, negligible.
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