Microorganisms Associated With Dust on Alpine Snow
We investigated snow microstructure and microbial composition from snow samples collected from western Colorado, a region that experiences frequent dust-on-snow deposition events. We developed a methodology to quantify the amount, size, and location of dust particles within the snow matrix through a...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2020-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Earth Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/feart.2020.00122/full |
| _version_ | 1819022910207033344 |
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| author | Zoe R. Courville Ross M. Lieblappen Ross M. Lieblappen Alison K. Thurston Robyn A. Barbato John M. Fegyveresi John M. Fegyveresi Lauren B. Farnsworth Jeff Derry R. M. Jones Stacey J. Doherty Shelby A. Rosten |
| author_facet | Zoe R. Courville Ross M. Lieblappen Ross M. Lieblappen Alison K. Thurston Robyn A. Barbato John M. Fegyveresi John M. Fegyveresi Lauren B. Farnsworth Jeff Derry R. M. Jones Stacey J. Doherty Shelby A. Rosten |
| author_sort | Zoe R. Courville |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We investigated snow microstructure and microbial composition from snow samples collected from western Colorado, a region that experiences frequent dust-on-snow deposition events. We developed a methodology to quantify the amount, size, and location of dust particles within the snow matrix through analysis of X-ray micro-computed tomography data. Concurrently, we determined the microbial composition in sampled dust layers through DNA sequencing. We found that dust particles were generally embedded in the snow grains, with a small fraction of the dust particles' surface area exposed to air. Microbial community composition varied more by alpine site rather than residence time of the dust within the snowpack, with the recently deposited dust layer harboring both the highest diversity and highest concentration of dust particles. The presence of microbiota in the dust-impacted snowpack has important implications for snowpack stability, melting, and biogeochemistry. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T04:30:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f2b79f5bfaab4090998c1c31208d53e2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-6463 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T04:30:30Z |
| publishDate | 2020-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Earth Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-f2b79f5bfaab4090998c1c31208d53e22022-12-21T19:15:58ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Earth Science2296-64632020-04-01810.3389/feart.2020.00122488066Microorganisms Associated With Dust on Alpine SnowZoe R. Courville0Ross M. Lieblappen1Ross M. Lieblappen2Alison K. Thurston3Robyn A. Barbato4John M. Fegyveresi5John M. Fegyveresi6Lauren B. Farnsworth7Jeff Derry8R. M. Jones9Stacey J. Doherty10Shelby A. Rosten11US Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Hanover, NH, United StatesUS Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Hanover, NH, United StatesDepartment of Science, Vermont Technical College, Randolph Center, VT, United StatesUS Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Hanover, NH, United StatesUS Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Hanover, NH, United StatesUS Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Hanover, NH, United StatesSchool of Earth and Sustainability, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United StatesUS Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Hanover, NH, United StatesCenter for Snow and Avalanche Studies, Silverton, CO, United StatesUS Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Hanover, NH, United StatesUS Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Hanover, NH, United StatesUS Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Hanover, NH, United StatesWe investigated snow microstructure and microbial composition from snow samples collected from western Colorado, a region that experiences frequent dust-on-snow deposition events. We developed a methodology to quantify the amount, size, and location of dust particles within the snow matrix through analysis of X-ray micro-computed tomography data. Concurrently, we determined the microbial composition in sampled dust layers through DNA sequencing. We found that dust particles were generally embedded in the snow grains, with a small fraction of the dust particles' surface area exposed to air. Microbial community composition varied more by alpine site rather than residence time of the dust within the snowpack, with the recently deposited dust layer harboring both the highest diversity and highest concentration of dust particles. The presence of microbiota in the dust-impacted snowpack has important implications for snowpack stability, melting, and biogeochemistry.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/feart.2020.00122/fulldustmicrobessnowmicro-computed tomographymicrostructure |
| spellingShingle | Zoe R. Courville Ross M. Lieblappen Ross M. Lieblappen Alison K. Thurston Robyn A. Barbato John M. Fegyveresi John M. Fegyveresi Lauren B. Farnsworth Jeff Derry R. M. Jones Stacey J. Doherty Shelby A. Rosten Microorganisms Associated With Dust on Alpine Snow Frontiers in Earth Science dust microbes snow micro-computed tomography microstructure |
| title | Microorganisms Associated With Dust on Alpine Snow |
| title_full | Microorganisms Associated With Dust on Alpine Snow |
| title_fullStr | Microorganisms Associated With Dust on Alpine Snow |
| title_full_unstemmed | Microorganisms Associated With Dust on Alpine Snow |
| title_short | Microorganisms Associated With Dust on Alpine Snow |
| title_sort | microorganisms associated with dust on alpine snow |
| topic | dust microbes snow micro-computed tomography microstructure |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/feart.2020.00122/full |
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