Geomicrobiology
Geomicrobiology studies how microbes interact with geological processes. [1] It is a young but rapidly growing field built around a recognition that the near-surface environment is not a purely chemical system but one where living organisms, especially bacteria, actively participate in building and transforming minerals.
Bacteria as Geological Agents
Microorganisms play an essential role in numerous shallow geochemical systems, actively steering the precipitation and development of various minerals. [1] In many geological environments, the observed mineralogy cannot be explained without accounting for what microorganisms are doing.
The clearest example is pyrite. The pyrite (FeS2) in many shale and coal beds is produced by sulfate-reducing bacteria. [1] The mineralogy of sedimentary and near-surface environments records biological activity just as directly as it records chemistry.
Biologically Induced and Controlled Mineralization
Pyrite is one of many cases. Numerous minerals and mineraloids are now recognized as products of biologically induced and controlled mineralization. [1] The list continues to expand as understanding of these processes improves. [1]
Significance for Near-Surface Mineralogy
Life’s metabolic activities have drastically altered the shallow crust’s chemistry, consequently dictating which mineral species precipitate and where they accumulate. [1] The mineralogy of soils, sediments, and shallow crustal rocks is not simply the outcome of inorganic geochemistry applied to available elements. Understanding what is in a sedimentary rock, and why, increasingly means understanding what microbes were doing when it formed.
References
- Nesse, W. D. (2017). Introduction to Mineralogy, 3rd ed. Oxford University Press.
Related Topics
Mineralogy
Mineralogy is the study of minerals.{/* SRC: Nesse p.4: "ing and exciting field of study called geomicrobiology. Numerous different minerals and mineraloids are now" */} {/* EDITORIAL */} It is...
Mineral
"Mineral" means different things depending on who you ask.{/* SRC: Nesse p.3: "Almost every human endeavor is influenced by minerals. Many natural resources used in the manufacture of" */}...
Soils
From the perspective of sedimentary rock formation, soils represent the interface between weathering and the rock record. The materials that make up sedimentary rocks are either siliciclastic...
Isotope
The atoms that make up every mineral consist of three fundamental particles: protons and neutrons bound together in a dense central nucleus, and electrons orbiting around it.{/* SRC: Nesse p.50:...
References & Citations
- 1.Introduction to Mineralogy Nesse
Master UPSC Geology Optional
Ex-ONGC Geologist & Rank Holder
Learn the exact analytical answer-writing patterns needed for UPSC Optional from an AIR 2 & AIR 25 holder.
Offline in Delhi