Continuous cultivation of the lithoautotrophic nitrate-reducing Fe(II)-oxidizing culture KS in a chemostat bioreactor

Laboratory-based studies on microbial Fe(II) oxidation are commonly performed over just a few weeks in small volumes with high substrate concentrations, resulting in geochemical gradients and volumetric effects caused by sampling. We used a chemostat to enable uninterrupted supply of medium, and investigated autotrophic growth of the nitrate-reducing Fe(II)-oxidizing culture KS for 24 days. We analysed Fe- and N-speciation, cell-mineral associations, and the identity of minerals. Results were compared to different batch systems (50 and 700 ml – static/shaken). The Fe(II) oxidation rate was highest in the chemostat with 7.57 mM Fe(II) d-1, while the extent was similar (averaged 92% of all Fe(II)). Short-range ordered Fe(III) phases, presumably ferrihydrite, precipitated and later goethite was detected in the chemostat. 1 mM solid phase Fe(II) remained in the chemostat, up to 15 µM of reactive nitrite was measured, and 42% of visualized cells were partially or completely mineral-encrusted, likely caused by abiotic oxidation of Fe(II) by nitrite. Despite (partial) encrustation, cells were still viable. Our results show that even with similar oxidation rates as in batch cultures, cultivating Fe(II)-oxidizing microorganisms under continuous conditions reveals mechanistic insights on the role of reactive intermediates for Fe(II) oxidation, mineral formation and cell-mineral interactions.

Patterns of transparent spinel formation at Kukhilal deposit, south-western Pamir

Two groups of spinel crystals, holohedral and anhedral, were recognized at Kukhilal deposit. The latter are transparent raw crystals. It was found that anhedral transparent spinels formed due to reaction minerals (hydrotalcite and Mg chlorite) formation as envelopes between forsterite and spinel. These envelopes generated magals. They are viewed as bimetasomatic mineral associations produced in contacts of spinel and forsterite crystals. It was found that neogenic minerals (hydrotalcite, Mg chlorite, serpentine, brucite, etc.) preserved fragile spinel relics from Alpine orogenesis tectonic deformations due to their ductility. Transparent spinel was preserved in hydrotalcite-chlorite magal part. Magals are proposed to be regarded as jewelry spinel orebodies. Microprobe and X-ray structural analyses of spinel, forsterite, hydrotalcite, chlorite and serpentine are presented.

Polyformational Agdai Massif (Verkhoyansk-Kolyma Orogenic Region)

The earliest Mesozoic granitoid formations of the Verkhoyansk-Kolyma orogenic region are derivatives of the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous gabbro-diorite-granodiorite formation, involvinggold and polymetallic mineralization. Late Cretaceous alkaline-feldspar or alkaline granites with associated rare-earth mineralization complete the granitoid magmatism of the region. The Agdai massif, which combines both of the mentioned groups of rocks, was the object of our research. Therefore, understanding their petrological and genetic features is of great interest. It is determined that the eastern part of the massif is composed of diorites and granodiorites and includes autoliths and xenoliths of gabbro-diorite composition. The isotopic K-Ar age of gabbro-diorites is 154Ma, diorites –148 Ma, granodiorites –117–124 Ma, and dike granites – 114 Ma. The rocks are characterized bydisequilibrium mineral assemblages: early magmatic pyroxene-Labrador, typical for the basic rocks, and late - micropegmatite granitoid. The origin of the parent melts occurred within the lower crust in amphibolite substrates at temperatures of 1000–1150°C and a pressure of 1.4-1.6 GPa under the influence of the mantle main melt and the partial mixing of the latter with the resulting crustal melt. The western part of the outcrop was formed at the beginning of the Late Cretaceous (the isotopic K-Ar age of the granites is 92+/-3 Ma) and is composed of alkaline feldspar leucogranites. According to all petro - and geochemical parameters, the rocks are defined as post-orogenic or rift-related granites of the A-type. The presence of inclusions of pyroxene-labrador composition, titanomagnetite, zircon of morphotype D and the ratio of the basic petrochemical parameters allow us to refer them to A-type granites related to continental rifting. High melt temperatures (990-1030°C) at relatively low pressures during magma generation (0.7–0.8 GPa) could be achieved only when additional heat was supplied from an external (deep) source. The presence of nonequilibrium mineral associations indicates a possible syntax of the granite and the main melt. In general, the Agdai massif is a polyformational, polygenic structure formed by the intrusion of melts through common or closely located magma conduits.

The influence of lateral transport on sedimentary alkenone paleoproxy signals

Alkenone signatures preserved in marine sedimentary records are considered one of the most robust paleothermometers available, and are often used as a proxy for paleoproductivity. However, important gaps remain on the provenance and fate of alkenones, and their impact on derived environmental signals in marine sediments. Here, we analyze the abundance, distribution, and radiocarbon (14C) age of alkenones in bulk sediments and corresponding grain-size fractions in surficial sediments from seven continental margin settings in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans in order to evaluate the impact of organo-mineral associations and hydrodynamic sorting on sedimentary alkenone signals. We find that alkenones preferentially reside within fine-grained mineral fractions of continental margin sediments, with the preponderance of alkenones residing within the fine silt fraction (2–10 µm), and most strongly influencing alkenone 14C age, and SST signals from bulk sediments as a consequence of their proportional abundance and higher degree of OM protection relative to other fractions. Our results demonstrate that selective association of alkenones with mineral surfaces and associated hydrodynamic mineral sorting processes can alter alkenone signals encoded in marine sediments (14C age, content, and distribution) and confound corresponding proxy records (productivity and SST) in the spatial and temporal domain.

Temperature sensitivity of permafrost carbon release mediated by mineral and microbial properties

Temperature sensitivity (Q10) of permafrost carbon (C) release upon thaw is a vital parameter for projecting permafrost C dynamics under climate warming. However, it remains unclear how mineral protection interacts with microbial properties and intrinsic recalcitrance to affect permafrost C fate. Here, we sampled permafrost soils across a 1000-km transect on the Tibetan Plateau and conducted two laboratory incubations over 400- and 28-day durations to explore patterns and drivers of permafrost C release and its temperature response after thaw. We find that mineral protection and microbial properties are two types of crucial predictors of permafrost C dynamics upon thaw. Both high C release and Q10 are associated with weak organo-mineral associations but high microbial abundances and activities, whereas high microbial diversity corresponds to low Q10. The attenuating effects of mineral protection and the dual roles of microbial properties would make the permafrost C-climate feedback more complex than previously thought.

Lithological and Geochemical Heterogeneity of the Organo-Mineral Matrix in Carbonate-Rich Shales

The paper discusses the issues of interaction of the organic matter and the siliceous-carbonate mineral matrix in unconventional reservoirs of the Upper Devonian Domanik Formation of the Upper Kama Depression of the Volga-Ural Basin. The Domanik Formation is composed of organic-rich low-permeability rocks. Lithological and geochemical peculiarities of rocks were studied using light microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), and evaporation method. Organic matter was examined by the Rock-Eval pyrolysis with quantitative and qualitative evaluation of generation potential and maturity degree. Integrated analysis of results of lithological and geochemical studies allowed identifying intervals in the studied section where organic matter can form a complex association with the siliceous-carbonate matrix. It was fixed experimentally that in some cases the mineral carbonate matrix and the organic matter form a one-whole high-molecular compound. The authors supposed that in the course of sedimentation, organic matter is immobilized into the structure of the mineral carbonate matrix. At the deposition and diagenesis stage, the carbonate matter interacts with acids of the organic matter and forms natural organo-mineral polymers. Special physicochemical properties of such organo-mineral associations shed new light onto the problems of producing from hard-to-develop nonconventional carbonate reservoirs and evaluating the associated risks.

Physical Protection in Aggregates and Organo-Mineral Associations Contribute to Carbon Stabilization at the Transition Zone of Seasonally Saturated Wetlands

Wetlands store significant soil organic carbon (SOC) globally due to anoxic conditions that suppress SOC loss, yet this SOC is sensitive to climate and land use change. Seasonally saturated wetlands experience fluctuating hydrologic conditions that may also promote mechanisms known to control SOC stabilization in upland soils; these wetlands are therefore likely to be important for SOC storage at the landscape-scale. We investigated the role of physicochemical mechanisms of SOC stabilization in five seasonally saturated wetlands to test the hypothesis that these mechanisms are present, particularly in the transition between wetland and upland where soil saturation is most variable. At each wetland, we monitored water level and collected soil samples at five points along a transect from frequently saturated basin edge to rarely saturated upland. We quantified physical protection of SOC in aggregates and organo-mineral associations in mineral horizons to 0.5 m depth. As expected, SOC decreased from basin edge to upland. In the basin edge and transition zone, the majority of SOC was physically protected in macroaggregates. By contrast, overall organo-mineral associations were low, with the highest Fe concentrations (5 mg Fe g -1 soil) in the transition zone. While both stabilization mechanisms were present in the transition zone, physical protection is more likely to influence SOC stabilization during dry periods in seasonally saturated wetlands. As future climate scenarios predict changes in wetland wet and dry cycles, understanding the mechanisms by which SOC is stabilized in wetland soils is critical for predicting the vulnerability of SOC to future change.

Semi-Quantitative Analysis of Major Elements and Minerals: Clues from a Late Pleistocene Core from Campos Basin

Element and mineral associations are fundamental parameters for palaeoceanographical reconstructions but laboratory methodologies are expensive, time-consuming and need a lot of material. Here, we investigate the quality and reliability of XRF measurements of major elements (Fe, Ti and Ca) using BTX II Benchtop, by comparing them with previous ICP-OES elemental analysis for a set of Late Pleistocene marine sediments from Campos Basin. Although the numerical values of the logarithmic form of the elementary ratios were different, the lnTi/Ca and lnFe/Ca ratios measured by both techniques (XRF and ICP-OES) presented similar downcore results. To correct the XRF intensity data, a linear regression model was calculated and, based on the linear equation generated, the logarithmic values of the elementary XRF ratios were corrected. After the correction, One-Sample t-test and Bland–Altman plot show that both techniques obtained similar results. In addition, a brief paleoceanographic interpretation, during the MIS 5 and MIS 4 periods, was conducted by comparing mineralogical and elementary analysis aiming to reconstruct the variations of the terrigenous input to the studied area. As a conclusion, the results from XRF measurements (BTX II) presented to confirm the viability of such a technique, showing that analysis using BTX II is a reliable, cheap, rapid and non-destructive option for obtaining elementary ratios and mineralogical downcore results at high resolution, allowing stratigraphic and paleoceanographic interpretations.

Mineral Associations of Veins with Quartz of the "Diamonds оf Donbass" Type in the Seleznevsky Coal-Bearing District (Folded Donbass)

The authors have established quartz and quartz-carbonate veins, the formation of which is associated with a low-temperature hydrothermal system of methane-water composition within the Seleznevsky coal-bearing region of the Folded Donbass. The article considers the features of localization of hydrothermal mineralization containing quartz with inclusions of hydrocarbons, and its potential ore content. It is established that the vein bodies are localized mainly in the near-hinge parts of the third-order brachianticlines in the central and marginal parts of the Seleznevskaya syncline. These veins form systems associated with the fracturing of the inter-layer stratification or intersecting the layers. Interplastic veins are subdivided into plate-like massive and vein-like bodies with a druze texture. The veins of the second type contain quartz crystals with hydrocarbon inclusions, referred to as "diamonds of Donbass". They form a paragenetic association with dickite. In addition, calcite in the form of short-prismatic crystals is a typical associated mineral in the vein bodies among limestone strata. In the veins among the sandstone layers, the association with goethite, oxides and hydroxides of manganese is developed. Two morphological types of cinnabar were found in the vein bodies on the basis of HMS sampling, the largest number is confined to the brachianticlines of the marginal parts of the Seleznevskaya syncline. The analysis of the results indicates the prospects for identifying mercury mineralization with quartz-dickite-cinnabar type of mineralization.

Methodological aspects of regional metallogenic analysis

Relevance and purpose of the work are due to the need to formulate the conceptual base and essence that determine the methodology of regional metallogenic analysis. Results. The fundamental provisions that make up the methodological and conceptual-semantic basis of the regional metallogenic analysis have been determined and concretized. The conceptual basis of regional metallogenic analysis is the provision that the ore (deposit) is included as a natural component in certain structural-material associations (or complexes), i.e., in certain formations of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. They are objectively existing and actually mapped geological bodies, which are expressed both in the form of stratified (series, formations, strata, packs, horizons) and intrusive (massifs) formations. On their basis, structural-formation (structuralmetallogenic) zoning is carried out. An important feature of magmatic, sedimentary and ore formations is their recurrence in the geological history of mobile belts, which confirms the concept of the conservatism of metallogenic processes in the geological history of the Earth. At the same time, along with repetitive ones, there are magmatic, sedimentary and ore formations formed in the geological history of the Earth only once. Lateral and vertical rows of rock and ore paragenetic associations are characterized. Examples of Caledonian and Hercynian lateral ore-formation series of the Urals are given. The main provisions of the quantitative assessment of the predicted resources of the predicted types of minerals are formulated. Conclusions. The regional metallogenic analysis consists of the following components: petro-lithoformational analysis, structural-formational zoning which is adequate to structural-metallogenic zoning, paragenetic analysis of mineral associations and geological-industrial typification of various-scale occurrences of a mineral, and quantitative assessment of expected mineralization predicted resources.