Leslie Melim

Evidence for Microbial Involvement in Pool Finger Precipitation, Hidden Cave, New Mexico

Although speleothems are usually considered inorganic precipitates, recent work has demonstrated hitherto unsuspected biogenic influence in some twilight areas. We have expanded this notion to the dark zone, examining pool fingers from Hidden Cave, New Mexico, to test for possible bacterial involvement. The pool fingers in Hidden Cave are pendant speleothems that formed subaqueously in paleo-pools. They are 1 to 4 cm in diameter and 5 to 50 cm long. A knobby, irregular external shape is underlaid by a layered interior on two scales, a 0.5 to 1.0 cm alternation between dense and porous layers and a mm-scale alternation between dark micritic calcite and clear dogtooth spar. The micrite is similar to microbialites identified in modern and ancient carbonates. Fossil bacteria were found in all layers. These include (1) calcified filaments 1 w m in diameter and 5–50 w m long and (2) micro-rods 0.1 w m by 1–2 w m. Most filaments are curved rods with a smooth surface but rare examples display a diamond crosshatch surface. The micro-rods occur as isolated crystals to dense meshes. We interpret the micro-rods as calcified bacilliform bacteria and the filaments as calcified filamentous bacteria. Carbon isotopic data are slightly more negative (by - 0.5 to - 1.0% in micritic layers than in dogtooth spar layers, suggesting a greater microbial influence in the micritic layers. Based on these similarities to known microbialites (e.g., petrographic fabrics, the presence of fossil bacteria, and the suggestive carbon isotopic data), we conclude that microbial activity was an intimate part of pool finger formation in Hidden Cave. The significance of such involvement goes beyond speleological contexts to wider questions of identification of biosignatures in rocks on earth and beyond.

Anthropogenic lead as a tracer of rock varnish growth: Implications for rates of formation

Rock varnish is a thin dark coating best known from deserts, and is believed to grow extremely slowly. Varnish samples from near Socorro, New Mexico (United States), contain as much as 3.7% PbO, derived from nearby smelters operating from A.D. 1870 to 1931. Additional varnish, measuring as much as 4 μm beyond the Pb-rich layer, indicates continued growth from 1931 to 2003. Comparison with other varnish confirms that the Pb is not an artifact. Based on Pb layer thickness, and the period of smelter operation, these very young rock varnishes yield growth rates of 28–639 μm/k.y., substantially higher than previously documented fastest rates of 40 μm/k.y. These rates imply that the average 1–2 μm/k.y. rate for older varnish is not the active growth rate. Rather, it is a long-term value including periods of nondeposition, erosion, and active growth. Therefore, models of rock varnish formation should be reevaluated with consideration of much faster maximum growth rates.

PRESERVATION OF FOSSIL MICROBES AND BIOFILM IN CAVE POOL CARBONATES AND COMPARISON TO OTHER MICROBIAL CARBONATE ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract Fossil microbes are generally preserved by authigenic minerals, including silica, apatite, iron minerals, clays, and carbonates. An alternative mode of preservation by entombment in calcite, without replacement, has been identified in carbonate cave pool microbialites that were etched and examined in the scanning electron microscope (SEM). Features identified include filaments, threads, and films that show excess carbon in energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyses, suggesting preservation of organic matter. Filaments are single smooth or reticulated strands with curving string-like morphology, often hollow, and with a uniform diameter of 0.5 to 1.0 μm. Threads, in contrast, are variable thickness, from several microns down to 0.1 μm, always solid, and commonly branch. Films are thin (< 1 μm) drapes associated with threads. Filaments are interpreted as microbial filaments, while threads and films are interpreted as preserved extracellular polymeric substance (EPS). In addition, microbial filaments and EPS are only revealed via acid etching, suggesting preservation of organic material by entombment, not by replacement with calcite. To determine whether entombed microbes are a common feature of carbonate microbialites that form in different environmental settings, samples of hot spring travertine, caliche soil, and reef microbialite were examined. Whereas the travertine samples were barren, entombed EPS was found in the caliche soil and the reef microbialite; the latter also contained a few entombed filaments. In addition, entombed microbial material has been reported from carbonate cold seep deposits. Such findings indicate that entombment of microbes and EPS in carbonates is not restricted to cave settings, but is more widespread than previously reported. Possible causes for the lack of preservation in travertines include rapid degradation of microbial material either by sunlight due to photolytic degradation, aerobic microbial degradation, detritivore consumption, or elevated temperatures. Rapid carbonate precipitation is ruled out as, somewhat surprisingly, preservation is better in slower growing cave carbonates than in rapidly growing travertines. Potential long-term preservation of organic material entombed in carbonate has implications for the characterization of fossil microbial communities using molecular biomarkers and the search for life on other planets.