カナダの北極圏の白期の冷水浸透コミュニティとメタン由来炭酸塩
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|April 7, 1989
まとめ
カナダの北極で,低白期の化石が発見され,古代の寒冷に浸透した生態系を示しています. これらのユニークな化石集合は,数百万年前のメタン燃料による海洋生物の洞察を明らかにしています.
科学分野:
- パレオントロジー・パレオントロジー
- 地質化学 地質化学
- マリン・バイオロジー マリン・バイオロジー
背景:
- 低白期の冷凍沈没化石の集積は稀である.
- これらの生態系は,メタンと硫化水素を利用した化学合成細菌によって供給されています.
- 化石の保存は,しばしば特定の微小環境に限られている.
研究 の 目的:
- 新しく発見された下白亜紀の冷凍沈没化石の集合体を文書化し,解釈する.
- 古代の浸潤の古環境と生態学的ダイナミクスを再構築する.
- 海洋生物を支えるメタンの浸透の役割を理解する.
主な方法:
- 地質的地図作成と層図分析.
- 化石の識別とコミュニティ構造の分析.
- 炭酸マトリクスの安定同位体分析 (デルタ(13) C).
- 堆積環境を決定するための堆積学的分析.
主要な成果:
- 炭酸ノードル内に存在する大量に存在する状虫管と双弁.
- 化石は周辺の堆積層では稀である.
- 炭酸マトリクスは,メタン酸化を示す,同位体的に軽い値 (デルタ13) C = -25〜 -50/ml) を示しています.
- 中間深度 (<=400m) の冷たい海洋環境として解釈される堆積環境.
- 正常な断層の近さから,メタンと硫化水素の漏れ源の可能性が示唆される.
結論:
- カナダの北極諸島には,低白亜期の冷凍浸透生態系が宿った.
- バクテリアによるメタンの酸化が,炭酸塩の形成と生態系維持の主要な原動力であった.
- 地質学的構造は,浸透する液体の供給を容易にし,化学合成に基づく生命を可能にしました.
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