Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T06:03:03.015Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Role of smectite in siliceous-sinter formation and microbial-texture preservation: Octopus Spring, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2024

Jennifer E. Kyle  and
Paul A. Schroeder
Jennifer E. Kyle
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602-5201, USA
Paul A. Schroeder*
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602-5201, USA
*
*E-mail address of corresponding author: schroe@uga.edu
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

A siliceous sinter collected from Octopus Spring in Yellowstone National Park, USA contains an occluded volcanic rock fragment that has undergone alteration. The sinter piece beyond the fragment is mostly dominated by opal-A with trace amounts of bacterial cells, calcite and detrital quartz. Within the altered rock region, the mineral assemblage is dominated by dioctahedral smectite and quartz with trace amounts of pseudobrookite, ilmenite, rutile and hematite. Onset of opal-CT formation was only found in the outer spicular region of the sinter, which is unexpected given that this outer part represents newest growth. A reaction mechanism is proposed whereby the alteration of feldspar to smectitic clay locally produces excess silica, and alkali metal, and raises pH. As the clay mineral forms, it sequesters ions from pore fluids thereby inhibiting the opal-A phase change to more ordered opal-CT. Ions such as Mg are known to promote the opal-A to opal-CT reaction. Smectite formation therefore may assist microbial-texture preservation processes as excess silica produced increases the rate at which primary opal-A is formed. The altered zone also retains the greatest amount of fixed C and fixed N (operationally defined as C and N retained upon combustion at 450°C). The fixed N probably represents ammonium trapped in the exchangeable interlayer site of the smectite. This fixed N may serve as a potential biological signature of microbial activity in ancient rocks formed in similar environments.

Keywords

BiosignaturesClaysMontmorilloniteNitrogenOpalPseudobrookiteSiliceous SinterYellowstone National Park
Type
Research Article
Information
Clays and Clay Minerals , Volume 55 , Issue 2 , April 2007 , pp. 189 - 199
Copyright
Copyright © 2007, The Clay Minerals Society

References

Bailey, S.W. and Bailey, S.W., (1984) Classification and structures of the micas Micas Washington, D.C Mineralogical Society of America 1–12 10.1515/9781501508820.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ball, J.W., Nordstrom, D.K., Jenne, E.A. and Vivit, D.V. (1998) Chemical analyses of hot springs, pools, geysers, and surface water from Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, and vicinity, 1974–1975, US Geological Survey Open-file Report, 98–182, 45 pp.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barger, K.E. and Beeson, M.H., (1981) Hydrothermal alteration in research drill hole Y-2, Lower Geyser Basin, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming American Mineralogist 66 473–490.Google Scholar
Blank, C.E. Cady, S.L. and Pace, N.R., (2002) Microbial composition of near-boiling silica-deposition thermal springs throughout Yellowstone National Park Applied and Environmental Microbiology 68 5123–5135 10.1128/AEM.68.10.5123-5135.2002.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Braunstein, D. and Lowe, D.R., (2001) Relationship between spring and geyser activity and the deposition and morphology of high temperature (> 73°C) siliceous sinter, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, U.S.A Journal of Sedimentary Research 71 747–763 10.1306/2DC40965-0E47-11D7-8643000102C1865D.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brooks, P.D. Geilmann, H. Werner, R.A. and Brand, N.A., (2003) Letter to the editor Rapid Communications in Mass Spectroscopy 17 1924–1926 10.1002/rcm.1134.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burns, B., (1997) Vegetation change along a geothermal stress gradient at the Te Kopia steam field Journal of Soil Royal Society of New Zealand 27 279–94 10.1080/03014223.1997.9517539.Google Scholar
Cady, S.L. and Farmer, J.D., (1996) Fossilization processes in siliceous thermal springs: trends in preservation along thermal gradients Evolution of Hydrothermal Ecosystems of Earth (and Mars?) Chichester, UK Wiley 150–173.Google Scholar
Demas, G.P. and Rabenhorst, M.A., (1999) Subaqueous soils: Pedogenesis in asubmersed Environment Soil Science Society of America Journal 63 1250–1257 10.2136/sssaj1999.6351250x.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Foord, E.E., Ayuro, R.A., Hoover, D.B. and Klein, D.P. (1995) Preliminary compilation of descriptive geoenvironmental mineral deposit models. USGS Open-File Report 95–831.Google Scholar
Fortin, D. Beveridge, T.J. and Baeuerlein, E., (2000) Mechanistic routes towards biomineral surface development Biomineralization: From Biology to Biotechnology and Medical Application Verlag, Germany Wiley-VCH 7–24.Google Scholar
Founier, R.O. and Rowe, J.J., (1966) Estimation of underground temperatures from the silica content of water from hot springs and steam wells American Journal of Science 264 685–697 10.2475/ajs.264.9.685.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fritz, W.J., (1985) Roadside Geology of the Yellowstone country Missoula, Missouri, UK Mountain Press.Google Scholar
Guggenheim, S. and Kostner van Groos, A.F., (2001) Baseline studies of The Clay Minerals Society Source Clays: thermal analysis Clay and Clay Minerals 49 433–443 10.1346/CCMN.2001.0490509.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Herdianita, N.R. Rodgers, K.A. and Browne, P.L., (2000) Routine instrumental procedures to characterize the mineralogy of modern and ancient silica sinters Geothermics 29 65–81 10.1016/S0375-6505(99)00054-1.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hinman, N.W. and Lindstrom, R.F., (1996) Seasonal changes in silicadeposition in hot spring systems Chemical Geology 132 237–246 10.1016/S0009-2541(96)00060-5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Isaacs, C.M., (1982) Influence of rock composition on kinetics of silica phase changes in the Monterey Formation, Santa Barbara area, California Geology 10 304–308 10.1130/0091-7613(1982)10<304:IORCOK>2.0.CO;2.2.0.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jones, B. Renaut, R.W. and Rosen, M.R., (2001) Taphonomy of silicified filamentous microbes in modern geothermal sinters — implications for identification Palaios 16 580–592 10.1669/0883-1351(2001)016<0580:TOSFMI>2.0.CO;2.2.0.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jones, B. Renaut, R.W. and Rosen, M.R., (2003) Silicified microbes in ageyser mound: the enigmaof low-temperature cyanobacteria in a high-temperature setting Palaios 18 87–109 10.1669/0883-1351(2003)18<87:SMIAGM>2.0.CO;2.2.0.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kastner, M. Keene, J. and Gieskes, J., (1977) Diagenesis of siliceous oozes — I. Chemical controls on the rate of opal-A to opal-CT transformations — an experimental study Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 41 1041–1059 10.1016/0016-7037(77)90099-0.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Konhauser, K.O. Jones, B. Reysenbach, A. and Renaut, R.W., (2003) Hot spring sinters: keys to understanding Earth’s earliest life forms Canadian Journal of Earth Science 40 1713–1724 10.1139/e03-059.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Konhauser, K.O. Jones, B. Phoenix, V.R. Ferris, G. and Renaut, R.W., (2004) The microbial role in hot spring silicification Ambio 33 552–558 10.1579/0044-7447-33.8.552.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lowe, D.R. and Braunstein, D., (2003) Microstructure of high-temperature (>73°C) siliceous sinter deposited around hot springs and geysers, Yellowstone National Park: the role of biological and abiological processes in sedimentation Canadian Journal of Earth Science 40 1611–1642 10.1139/e03-066.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lynne, B.Y. and Campbell, K.A., (2004) Morphologic and mineralogic transitions from opal-A to opal-CT in low-temperature siliceous sinter diagenesis, Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand Journal of Sedimentary Research 74 561–579 10.1306/011704740561.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lynne, B.Y. Campbell, K.A. Perry, R.S. Browne, P.R.L. and Moore, J.N., (2006) Acceleration of sinter diagenesis in an active fumerole, Taupo volcanic zone, New Zealand Geology 34 749–752 10.1130/G22523.1.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MacEwan, D.M.C. Wilson, M.J., Brindley, G.W. and Brown, G., (1980) X-ray diffraction procedures from clay mineral identification Crystal Structures of Clay Minerals and their X-ray Identification London Mineralogical Society 305–360.Google Scholar
McCleskey, R.B., Ball, J.W., Nordstrom, D.K., Holloway, J.M. and Taylor, H.E. (2004) Water-chemistry data for selected hot springs, geysers, and streams in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, 2001–2002, U.S. Geological Survey Open-file Report, 2004-1316, 94 pp.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mera, M.U. and Beveridge, T.J., (1993) Mechanism of silicate binding to the bacterial cell wall in Bacillus subtilis Journal of Bacteriology 175 1936–1945 10.1128/jb.175.7.1936-1945.1993.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moore, D.E. and Reynolds, R.C., (1997) X-ray Diffraction and the Identification and Analysis of Clay Minerals 2 New York Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Murata, K.J. and Larson, R.R., (1975) Diagenesis of Miocene siliceous shales, Temblor Range, California Journal of Research US Geological Survey 3 553–556.Google Scholar
Pancost, R.D. Pressley, S. Coleman, J.M. Benning, L.G. and Mountain, B.W., (2005) Lipid biomolecules in silica sinters: indicators of microbial biodiversity Environmental Microbiology 7 66–77 10.1111/j.1462-2920.2004.00686.x.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ransom, B. Bennett, R.H. Baerwald, R. Hulbert, M.H. and Burkett, P.J., (1999) In situ conditions and interactions between microbes and minerals in fine-grained marine sediments: A TEM microfabric perspective American Mineralogist 84 183–192 10.2138/am-1999-1-220.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Renaut, R.W. Jones, B. and Tiercelin, J.J., (1998) Rapid in situ silicification of microbes at Loburu hot springs, Lake Bogoria, Kenya Rift Valley Sedimentology 45 1083–1103 10.1046/j.1365-3091.1998.00194.x.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reynolds, R.C., Brindley, G.W. and Brown, G., (1980) Interstratified clay minerals Crystal Structures of Clay Minerals and their X-ray Identification London Mineralogical Society 249–303.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rice, S.B. Freud, H. Huang, W.L. Clouse, J.A. and Isaacs, C.M., (1995) Applications of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to silica diagenesis: The opal-A to opal-CT transformation Journal of Sedimentary Research 65 639–647.Google Scholar
Rimstidt, J.D. and Cole, D.R., (1983) Geothermal mineralization I: The mechanism of formation of the Beowawe, Nevada, siliceous sinter deposit American Journal of Science 283 861–875 10.2475/ajs.283.8.861.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schroeder, P.A. and Ingall, E.D., (1994) A method for the determination of nitrogen in clays, with application to the burial diagenesis of shales Journal of Sedimentary Research A64 694–697 10.1306/D4267E79-2B26-11D7-8648000102C1865D.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schroeder, P.A. and McLain, A.A., (1998) Illite-smectites and the influence of burial diagenesis on the geochemical cycling of nitrogen Clay Minerals 33 539–546 10.1180/000985598545877.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schroeder, P.A., Cady, S., Crowe, D.E., Karpov, G., King, G., Mills, G., Neal, A., Bonch-Osmosolovskaya, E., Robb, F., Romanek, C., Sokolova, T., Wiegel, J. and Zhang, C. (2006) Geothermal Biology and Geochemistry in Kamchatka, Russia: Connections between Uzon Caldera, Geyser Valley and the YNP — Research Coordination Network. NSF-sponsored Research Coordination Network workshop and Thermal Biology Institute, Montana State University. Abstract with program, .Google Scholar
Schultze-Lam, S. Ferris, F.G. Konhauser, K.O. and Wiese, R.G., (1995) In situ silicification of an Icelandic hot spring microbial mat: implications for microfossil formation Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 32 2021–2026 10.1139/e95-155.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stotzky, G., (1966) Influence of clay minerals on microorganisms III. Effect of particle size, cation exchange capacity, and surface area on bacteria Canadian Journal of Microbiology 12 1235–1246 10.1139/m66-165.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stotzky, G. and Rem, L.T., (1966) Influence of clay minerals on microorganisms I. Montmorillonite and kaolinite on bacteria Canadian Journal of Microbiology 12 547–563 10.1139/m66-078.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Westall, F. Boni, L. and Guerzoni, E., (1995) The experimental silicification of microorganisms Palaeontology 38 495–528.Google Scholar
Yoshito, N., (2002) Diffusion of H2Oand I− in expandable micaand montmorillonite gels: Contribution of bound H2O Clays and Clay Minerals 50 1–10 10.1346/000986002761002603.Google Scholar