Distinctive Accessory Minerals, Textures and Crystal Habits in Biofilm Associated Gypsum Deposits

Details Distinctive Accessory Minerals, Textures and Crystal Habits in Biofilm Associated Gypsum Deposits Distinctive Accessory Minerals, Textures and Crystal Habits in Biofilm Associated Gypsum Deposits

Dec 2008

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008agufm.p51a1406v&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2008, abstract #P51A-1406

Biology

0406 Astrobiology And Extraterrestrial Materials, 0419 Biomineralization

Scientific paper

Gypsum-depositing environments near Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur, Mexico were investigated in order to differentiate the influence of microbial activity versus nonbiological processes upon sedimentary fabrics and minerals. Field sites were located in sabkhas (mudflats and anchialine pools) and in seawater concentration ponds in the salt production facility operated by Exportadora de Sal, S. A. Gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O) was classified according to sedimentary environment (e.g., mudflats, anchialine pools, saltern ponds, surface and subsurface sediments), sedimentary texture, mineral composition, crystal habit, brine composition and other geochemical and biological factors. Gypsum types that develop in the absence of biofilms include water column precipitates (pelagic grains) and subsedimentary crystalline discs that form from phreatic brine ripening. Subsedimentary gypsum forming in sabkha environments had a sinuous axial microtexture and poikilitically enclosed detrital particles whereas water column precipitates exhibited euhedral prismatic habits and extensive penetrative twinning. Gypsum that was influenced by biofilms included cumulate crusts and gypsooids / gypsolite developing in anchialine pools and in saltern concentration ponds. Gypsum precipitating within subaqueous benthic microbial mats, or biofilm/sediment surfaces offered compelling evidence of biofilm influence on crystal textures and habits. Biofilm effects include irregular high relief surface textures, accessory minerals (elemental sulfur, Ca-carbonate, Sr/Ca-sulfate, Mg-oxide and Mg- sulfate) and distinctive crystal habits. Elemental sulfur, Ca-carbonate, and Sr/Ca-sulfate are known byproducts of bacterially mediated sulfate reduction (BSR). Populations of gypsum crystals within biofilms exhibited euhedral to lensoidal morphologies with unique equant and distorted prismatic forms. These forms had been shown to arise from form- and face-specific inhibition by bioorganic functional groups (Cody, 1991; Cody and Cody 1991). Biofilms therefore may play an active role in influencing brine chemistry, inducing crystallization and modifying crystal habits, evidence of which is preserved in grain morphologies.

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