A Microbial Survey of Lake Kivu: Mechanisms of Nitrogen Cycling
Ocean Anoxic Events (OAEs) are periods in Earth’s history during which large por-tions of the oceans contain decreased amounts of oxygen. OAEs can be very difficult to study since modern oceans are generally well-oxygenated. Here Lake Kivu, a meromictic lake with deep anoxic layers, is presented as...
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| Format: | Thesis |
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2023
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/151509 |
| Summary: | Ocean Anoxic Events (OAEs) are periods in Earth’s history during which large por-tions of the oceans contain decreased amounts of oxygen. OAEs can be very difficult to study since modern oceans are generally well-oxygenated. Here Lake Kivu, a meromictic lake with deep anoxic layers, is presented as a potential OAE analogue and is used to study a proposed nitrogen cycling mechanism that could explain the characteristic 𝛿¹⁵N excursions associated with OAEs. Biomarkers are isolated from sediment samples and analyzed across depth below the lake floor. The results are consistent with a biologically mediated nitrogen cycling mechanism, shedding more light on a potential mechanism to explain nitrogen cycling in OAEs. |
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