Stromatolite records of environmental change in perennially ice-covered Lake Joyce, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica
Calcite-rich columnar stromatolites grew in perennially ice-covered Lake Joyce in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, during a period of environmental change associated with rising lake level. Stromatolite calcite contains carbon and oxygen isotope records of changes to microbial activity in respon...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer-Verlag
2018
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/115135 |
| _version_ | 1811096234344054784 |
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| author | Mackey, T. J Sumner, D. Y Hawes, I. Leidman, S. Z Andersen, D. T Jungblut, A. D Sumner, D. Y. Leidman, S. Z. Andersen, D. T. Jungblut, A. D. Mackey, Tyler James |
| author2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences |
| author_facet | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences Mackey, T. J Sumner, D. Y Hawes, I. Leidman, S. Z Andersen, D. T Jungblut, A. D Sumner, D. Y. Leidman, S. Z. Andersen, D. T. Jungblut, A. D. Mackey, Tyler James |
| author_sort | Mackey, T. J |
| collection | MIT |
| description | Calcite-rich columnar stromatolites grew in perennially ice-covered Lake Joyce in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, during a period of environmental change associated with rising lake level. Stromatolite calcite contains carbon and oxygen isotope records of changes to microbial activity in response to variable light environments and water chemistry through time. The stromatolites grew synchronously with correlative calcite zones. The innermost (oldest) calcite zone has a wide range of δ13Ccalcite values consistent with variable photosynthetic effects on local DIC 13C/12C. Subsequent calcite zones preserve a progressive enrichment in δ13Ccalcite values of approximately + 2.6‰ through time, with δ[superscript 13C]calcite values becoming less variable. This enrichment likely records the removal of [superscript 12]C by photosynthesis from the DIC reservoir over decades, with photosynthetic effects decreasing as light levels became lower and more consistent through time. Mean δ[superscript 18O]calcite values of the innermost calcified zone were at least 1‰ lower than those of the other calcified zones (t test p-level < 0.001). The significant difference in δ[superscript 18O]calcite values between the innermost and other calcified zones could be a product of mixing source waters with different isotopic values associated with the initiation of lake stratification associated with rising lake level. Overall, Lake Joyce stromatolites record significant lateral variability in relative photosynthetic rate and long-lived lake water stratification with microbial modification of the DIC pool. Such processes provide criteria for interpreting microbial activity within polar paleolake deposits and may shed light on variability in lake environments associated with changing climate in the McMurdo Dry Valleys. Keywords: Antarctica; Stromatolite; Microbial mat; Carbonate; Isotopes |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T16:40:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/115135 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T16:40:22Z |
| publishDate | 2018 |
| publisher | Springer-Verlag |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1151352022-09-29T20:43:25Z Stromatolite records of environmental change in perennially ice-covered Lake Joyce, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica Mackey, T. J Sumner, D. Y Hawes, I. Leidman, S. Z Andersen, D. T Jungblut, A. D Sumner, D. Y. Leidman, S. Z. Andersen, D. T. Jungblut, A. D. Mackey, Tyler James Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences Mackey, Tyler James Calcite-rich columnar stromatolites grew in perennially ice-covered Lake Joyce in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, during a period of environmental change associated with rising lake level. Stromatolite calcite contains carbon and oxygen isotope records of changes to microbial activity in response to variable light environments and water chemistry through time. The stromatolites grew synchronously with correlative calcite zones. The innermost (oldest) calcite zone has a wide range of δ13Ccalcite values consistent with variable photosynthetic effects on local DIC 13C/12C. Subsequent calcite zones preserve a progressive enrichment in δ13Ccalcite values of approximately + 2.6‰ through time, with δ[superscript 13C]calcite values becoming less variable. This enrichment likely records the removal of [superscript 12]C by photosynthesis from the DIC reservoir over decades, with photosynthetic effects decreasing as light levels became lower and more consistent through time. Mean δ[superscript 18O]calcite values of the innermost calcified zone were at least 1‰ lower than those of the other calcified zones (t test p-level < 0.001). The significant difference in δ[superscript 18O]calcite values between the innermost and other calcified zones could be a product of mixing source waters with different isotopic values associated with the initiation of lake stratification associated with rising lake level. Overall, Lake Joyce stromatolites record significant lateral variability in relative photosynthetic rate and long-lived lake water stratification with microbial modification of the DIC pool. Such processes provide criteria for interpreting microbial activity within polar paleolake deposits and may shed light on variability in lake environments associated with changing climate in the McMurdo Dry Valleys. Keywords: Antarctica; Stromatolite; Microbial mat; Carbonate; Isotopes United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Award NNX08AO19G) United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Award NNX13AI60G) 2018-05-01T17:54:22Z 2018-09-02T05:00:04Z 2017-11 2018-01-26T07:00:08Z Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 0168-2563 1573-515X http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/115135 Mackey, T. J. et al. “Stromatolite Records of Environmental Change in Perennially Ice-Covered Lake Joyce, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica.” Biogeochemistry 137, 1–2 (November 2017): 73–92 © 2017 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature en http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10533-017-0402-1 Biogeochemistry Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use. Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature application/pdf Springer-Verlag Springer International Publishing |
| spellingShingle | Mackey, T. J Sumner, D. Y Hawes, I. Leidman, S. Z Andersen, D. T Jungblut, A. D Sumner, D. Y. Leidman, S. Z. Andersen, D. T. Jungblut, A. D. Mackey, Tyler James Stromatolite records of environmental change in perennially ice-covered Lake Joyce, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
| title | Stromatolite records of environmental change in perennially ice-covered Lake Joyce, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
| title_full | Stromatolite records of environmental change in perennially ice-covered Lake Joyce, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
| title_fullStr | Stromatolite records of environmental change in perennially ice-covered Lake Joyce, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
| title_full_unstemmed | Stromatolite records of environmental change in perennially ice-covered Lake Joyce, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
| title_short | Stromatolite records of environmental change in perennially ice-covered Lake Joyce, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
| title_sort | stromatolite records of environmental change in perennially ice covered lake joyce mcmurdo dry valleys antarctica |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/115135 |
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