Alteration of a Submarine Basaltic Glass under Environmental Conditions Conducive for Microorganisms: Growth Patterns of the Microbial Community and Mechanism of Palagonite Formation |
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| Authors: | Stefan Dultz Jens Boy Christoph Dupont Matthias Halisch Harald Behrens Anna-Maria Welsch |
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| Institution: | 1. Institute of Mineralogy, Leibniz Universit?t Hannover, Hannover, Germanydultz@ifbk.uni-hannover.de;3. Institute of Soil Science, Leibniz Universit?t Hannover, Hannover, Germany;4. Institute of Mineralogy, Leibniz Universit?t Hannover, Hannover, Germany;5. Leibniz Institute for Applied Geophysics, Hannover, Germany |
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| Abstract: | In basaltic glass from the southern Mid-Atlantic-Ridge conducive environmental conditions for biogenic weathering resulted in excellent preserved microbial morphologies on glass surfaces. The distinct glass interface and open spaces between palagonite sheet and glass indicate a dissolution-reprecipitation mechanism of glass alteration potentially supported by microorganisms. On internal fracture surfaces, branching channels with widths at 20–30 μm containing longish structures with targeted dissolution of the glass by growing tips were observed. Alteration resulted in enrichment of Fe, Ti, P, and K in palagonite in amorphous mineral forms. |
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| Keywords: | alteration mechanism basaltic glass biogenic weathering palagonite formation |
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