Microbial carbonate production in a starved basin: The crenistria Limestone of the upper Viséan German Kulm facies

The crenistria Limestone is a set of three autochthonous massive limestone beds occurring with great lithological persistence in the Kulm Facies (cd III , upper Viséan) of the eastern Rheinisches Schiefergebirge. Microfacies analysis reveals mainly minipeloidal fabrics and homogeneous micrite. Uncrushed, sediment-filled conchs of goniatites represent loci of sheltered preservation of primary carbonate textures. Calcified radiolarians are abundant, forming between 20 and 80% of total rock volume. The alleged algal genus Rectangulina is common in the crenistria Limestone. It is reinterpreted to represent the faeces of goniatites. For the first time the presence of in situ preserved sponges is reported. They can be recognized as delicate networks of microsparitic needles embedded in peloidal fabrics. Hexactinellids with primary spicule arrangements can be found embedded in homogeneous micrite. The carbonate forming the limestone beds was produced microbially during decomposition of soft tissue of the radiolarians and sponges. During the cd III , anoxia in the bottom waters of the Kulm Basin persisted for long periods due to stable density stratification of the water column under humid climatic conditions. Oxic conditions in the bottom waters during formation of the limestone are indicated by bioturbation, the presence of sponges and the high Mn-contents of the carbonate. The latter derived from reduction of Mn-oxides during microbial carbonate formation.     

Inorganic-carbon uptake by a small-celled strain of Stichococcus bacillaris

Air-grown cells of a marine, small-celled (2 m diameter) strain of Stichococcus bacillaris contained appreciable carbonic-anhydrase activity but this was repressed when cells were grown on air enriched with 5% (v/v) CO₂. Assay of carbonic-anhydrase activity using intact cells and cell extracts showed all activity was intracellular in this Stichococcus strain. Measurement of inorganic-carbon-dependent photosynthetic O₂ evolution at pH 5.0, where CO₂ is the predominant form of inorganic carbon, showed that the concentration of inorganic carbon required for half-maximal rate of photosynthetic O₂ evolution [K_0.5(CO₂)] was 4.0 M for both air- and CO₂-grown cells. At pH 8.3 the K_0.5(CO₂) was 0.3 mM for air-grown and 0.6 mM for CO₂-grown cells. Sodium ions did not enhance bicarbonate utilization. Measurement of the internal inorganic-carbon pool (HCO ₃ ^– +CO₂) by the silicone-oil-layer centrifugal filtering technique showed that air- and CO₂-grown cells were able to concentrate inorganic carbon up to 20-fold in relation to the external medium at pH 5.0 but not at pH 8.3. In this alga the high affinity for CO₂ and inorganic-carbon accumulation in CO₂- and air-grown cells results from active CO₂ transport that is not dependent on carbonic-anhydrase activity.Abbreviation Hepes 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazine ethanesulfonic acid     

皖南、赣北奥陶纪笔石立体标本形成环境的初步研究*

皖南、赣东北和赣西北地区奥陶纪笔石地层发育良好,笔石化石丰富。宁国组和胡乐组均为笔石相地层,但笔石的保存特点并不相同。立体保存的黄铁矿化笔石标本主要见于宁国组,而胡乐组的笔石几乎均为薄膜标本。在比较宁国组和胡乐组在岩性、颜色、化石、矿物和元素等方面的特点后发现,两者有较明显的差异。这表明宁国组和胡乐组形成时的环境是不同的,前者为弱还原环境,后者为较强的还原环境,而在研究区内影响笔石体立体保存的主要因素为还原环境和较高的铁含量。在还原环境下,铁可呈Fe~(2+)存在,笔石体内含有硫,死亡后经降解作用可生成H_2S;H_2S和Fe~(2+)结合可使笔石体黄铁矿化,从而使笔石体硬化而呈立体保存下来。宁国组的铁含量明显高于胡乐组,这似可以解释宁国组产有较多笔石立体标本的原因。     

Early Permian facies and paleogeography of the Southeastern Russian craton

Summary During the Early Permian deep-water basins existed in the southeastern part of the Russian craton. North and west of the Cis-Ural foredeep and the Precaspian depression (micro-ocean) carbonate platforms were formed on a shallow-marine shelf during the Asselian, Sakmarian and Early Artinskian. Reefs developed on the margin of these platforms along the slopes of the Cis-Ural foredeep and the Precaspian depression. The reefs shifted platform ward in the eastern areas, due to the tectonic subsidence of the platform margin and at the same time, prograded basinward in the south. Movements of continental blocks from the south during the Late Artinskian and Kungurian caused the separation of the Early Permian basin of the Russian craton from the Palaeo-Tethys, followed by evaporite sedimentation in the restricted basins. The existence of source rocks (bituminous deep-water sediments), thick reservoir rocks (limestones and dolostones), evaporitic seals and structural as well as stratigraphic traps are responsible for large productive gas and oil fields (e.g., Orenburg field), some of which are distinctly associated with reef carbonates.     

The upper cretaceousLacazina limestone in the Basco-Cantabrian and Iberian basins of northern Spain: Cold-water grain associations in warm-water environments

Summary The Upper Santonian to Lower CampanianLacazina Limestone consists of massive, often amalgamated beds of packstones and grainstones which were deposited in a shallow marine environment. The most abundant skeletal components are miliolid foraminifera, echinoderm, bivalve and bryozoan fragments, peloids and sparse red algae. Small, solitary corals only occur sporadically. Hermatypic corals, sponges and green algae are missing. The series which reaches thicknesses between 60 m and 160 m, was sampled at intervals of 0.5 m at five localities. The petrographic features throughout the series are mainly a product of changing depositional energy. The limestones are well cemented. Diagenesis is characterized by a transition from marine phreatic to burial cementation. Syntaxial and blocky calcite cements predominate over early acicular to bladed and microgranular cements. The faunal association within theLacazina Limestone exhibits features typical for temperate water i.e.foramol carbonates. On the other hand, oxygen (δ¹⁸O =-1.7 to −6.3 ‰ PDB) and carbon (δ¹³C to 3.0‰ PDB) isotope values of diagentically unaltered bivalve shells indicate warm surface waters corresponding better to the palaeogeographical situation of theLacazina Limestone. Nutrient-surplus is proposed as a limiting factor preventing the development of reefs and finally ofchlorozoan sediments. In the sense of sequence stratigraphy, theLacazina Limestone is interpreted to contain transgressive and highstand systems tracts. This interpretation fits well into theHaq-Vail-curve. The series shows no visible high-frequency cyclicity in the field. Several cycles were found by means of principle component analysis and spectral analysis. Their relationships to the Milankovitch spectrum are discussed. The ammonite fauna of the unit and of preceding sediments (late Coniacian to early Campanian) is described and some inoceramids are figured. They permit—for the first time—the exact dating of theLacazina Limestone in the Basco-Cantabrian Basin (BCB) and throw light on a prominent faunal change at the Coniacian/Santonian boundary. The Cenomanian to Coniacian ammonite faunas which were dominated by endemic Tethyan pseudoceratitic faunas are replaced by cosmopolitan species dominated by Madagascan elements. This drastic change permits speculations about the installation of a new oceanic current system in the Santonian.     

Variations in short term products of inorganic carbon fixation in exponential and stationary phase cultures of Aphanocapsa 6308

Aphanocapsa 6308 metabolizes both NaHCO₃ and Na₂CO₃. The short term incorporation (5-s) metabolic pattern and the patterns of incorporation of bicarbonate for exponential versus stationary phase cultures differ, however. Cells were equilibrated for 10 min in air and distilled water prior to injection of either NaH¹⁴CO₃ at pH 8.0, or Na₂ ¹⁴CO₃ at pH 11.0. Hot ethanol extracts were analyzed via paper chromatography and autoradiography for products of CO₂ fixation. At 5 s, malate (51.5%) predominates slightly as a primary bicarbonate fixation product over 3-phosphoglycerate (40.3%); 3-phosphoglycerate is the primary product of carbonate fixation. At 60 s, the carbonate and bicarbonate labelling patterns are similar. Cells in stationary phase fix in 5 s a greater proportion of bicarbonate into malate (36% vs. 14% for 3-phosphoglycerate) than do cells in exponential growth. Likewise, 60 s incorporations show a large amount of bicarbonate fixed into aspartate (30.9%) in stationary phase cells over that of exponential phase (11.6%). These data suggest an operative C₄ pathway for purposes not related to carbohydrate synthesis but rather as compensation for the incomplete tricarboxylic acid cycle in cyanobacteria. The enhancement of both aspartate fixation and CO₂ fixation into citrulline in stationary phase correlates with an increase in cyanophycin granule production which requires both aspartate and arginine.Nonstandard Abbreviations 3-PGA 3-phosphoglyceric acid - TCA tricarboxylic acid     

Microbially Mediated Calcium Carbonate Precipitation: Implications for Interpreting Calcite Precipitation and for Solid-Phase Capture of Inorganic Contaminants

Microbial degradation of urea was investigated as a potential geochemical catalyst for Ca carbonate precipitation and associated solid phase capture of common groundwater contaminants (Sr, UO₂, Cu) in laboratory batch experiments. Bacterial degradation of urea increased pH and promoted Ca carbonate precipitation in both bacterial control and contaminant treatments. Associated solid phase capture of Sr was highly effective, capturing 95% of the 1 mM Sr added within 24 h. The results for Sr are consistent with solid solution formation rather than discrete Sr carbonate phase precipitation. In contrast, UO₂ capture was not as effective, reaching only 30% of the initial 1 mM UO₂ added, and also reversible, dropping to 7% by 24 h. These results likely reflect differing sites of incorporation of these two elements-Ca lattice sites for Sr versus crystal defect sites for UO₂. Cu sequestration was poor, resulting from toxicity of the metal to the bacteria, which arrested urea degradation and concomitant Ca carbonate precipitation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated a variety of morphologies reminiscent of those observed in the marine stromatolite literature. In bacterial control treatments, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses indicated only calcite; while in the presence of either Sr or UO₂, both calcite and vaterite, a metastable polymorph of Ca carbonate, were identified. Tapping mode atomic force microscopy (AFM) indicated differences in surface microtopography among abiotic, bacterial control, and bacterial contaminant systems. These results indicate that Ca carbonate precipitation induced by passive biomineralization processes is highly effective and may provide a useful bioremediation strategy for Ca carbonate-rich aquifers where Sr contamination issues exist.     

Dentine oxygen isotopes (δ18O) as a proxy for odontocete distributions and movements

Spatial variation in marine oxygen isotope ratios (δ¹⁸O) resulting from differential evaporation rates and precipitation inputs is potentially useful for characterizing marine mammal distributions and tracking movements across δ¹⁸O gradients. Dentine hydroxyapatite contains carbonate and phosphate that precipitate in oxygen isotopic equilibrium with body water, which in odontocetes closely tracks the isotopic composition of ambient water. To test whether dentine oxygen isotope composition reliably records that of ambient water and can therefore serve as a proxy for odontocete distribution and movement patterns, we measured δ¹⁸O values of dentine structural carbonate (δ¹⁸O_SC) and phosphate (δ¹⁸O_P) of seven odontocete species (n = 55 individuals) from regional marine water bodies spanning a surface water δ¹⁸O range of several per mil. Mean dentine δ¹⁸O_SC (range +21.2 to +25.5‰ VSMOW) and δ¹⁸O_P (+16.7 to +20.3‰) values were strongly correlated with marine surface water δ¹⁸O values, with lower dentine δ¹⁸O_SC and δ¹⁸O_P values in high‐latitude regions (Arctic and Eastern North Pacific) and higher values in the Gulf of California, Gulf of Mexico, and Mediterranean Sea. Correlations between dentine δ¹⁸O_SC and δ¹⁸O_P values with marine surface water δ¹⁸O values indicate that sequential δ¹⁸O measurements along dentine, which grows incrementally and archives intra‐ and interannual isotopic composition over the lifetime of the animal, would be useful for characterizing residency within and movements among water bodies with strong δ¹⁸O gradients, particularly between polar and lower latitudes, or between oceans and marginal basins.     

Paleoenvironmental model for Eocene foraminiferal limestones of the Adriatic carbonate platform (Istrian Peninsula)

The foraminiferal limestones from the Middle Eocene Central Istrian region illustrate progressive deepening of depositional gradients. Shifting of Lower Cuisian to Upper Lutetian microfacies can be described in terms of a ramp model. The Orthophragminae-bearing parts of the foraminiferal limestones are interpreted in terms of larger foraminiferal faunal associations, planktonic foraminiferal relative abundance, limitations of algal endosymbionts, foraminiferal lamellar thickness and flattening of test shapes. Microfacies I contains the most diverse larger foraminiferal association with a predominance of large, thick nummulitids, assilinids, and asterocyclinids. Microfacies II is characterized by a gradual increase of Orthophragminae diversity and abundance. Nummulitids, equally abundant, are dominated by lenticular and subspherical specimens. The reduction in number of nummulitid specimens with characteristic biconical radiate morphologies, and relative abundance of flattened orthophragminids, characterizes Microfacies III. Scattered biodestructed orthophragminid tests and planktonic foraminifera constitute Microfacies IV, indicating the end of a long-lasting, shallow-marine Adriatic Carbonate Platform regime.     

Sequence boundary and related sedimentary and diagenetic facies formed on Middle Permian mid-oceanic carbonate platform: Core observation of Akiyoshi Limestone,Southwest Japan

Detailed core observation of the Akiyoshi Limestone, Southwest Japan, reveals a sequence boundary and related sedimentary and diagenetic facies formed on a late Murgabian (Middle Permian) mid-oceanic carbonate platform. The sequence boundary lies upon karstified bioclastic grainstone and is overlain by peritidal lime- and dolo-mudstone. The karstified bioclastic grainstone, which had been affected by subaerial exposure and early diagenetic processes, is characterized by crystal silts, prismatic, bladed and dogtooth cements, blackened limestone features, and alveolar textures. The overlying peritidal lime- and dolo-mudstone is 8 m thick and exhibits fenestrae, fissures, laminations, black pebbles, and low-diversity biota composed exclusively of ostracodes and calcispherids. The sequence boundary almost coincides with a major fusulinoidean biostratigraphic boundary. A sea-level fall in the late Murgabian resulted in a biotic turnover and formed the sequence boundary and the karst textures. The following relatively slow transgression resulted in the deposition of the thick transgressive peritidal unit.