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Title: Iron oxides stimulate sulfate-driven anaerobic methane oxidation in seeps

Journal Article · · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [3]
  1. Ben Gurion Univ. of the Negev, Beer-Sheva (Israel)
  2. Univ. of Cambridge, Cambridge (United Kingdom)
  3. California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States)

Seep sediments are dominated by intensive microbial sulfate reduction coupled to the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM). Through geochemical measurements of incubation experiments with methane seep sediments collected from Hydrate Ridge, we provide insight into the role of iron oxides in sulfate-driven AOM. Seep sediments incubated with 13C-labeled methane showed co-occurring sulfate reduction, AOM, and methanogenesis. The isotope fractionation factors for sulfur and oxygen isotopes in sulfate were about 40‰ and 22‰, respectively, reinforcing the difference between microbial sulfate reduction in methane seeps versus other sedimentary environments (for example, sulfur isotope fractionation above 60‰ in sulfate reduction coupled to organic carbon oxidation or in diffusive sedimentary sulfate–methane transition zone). The addition of hematite to these microcosm experiments resulted in significant microbial iron reduction as well as enhancing sulfate-driven AOM. The magnitude of the isotope fractionation of sulfur and oxygen isotopes in sulfate from these incubations was lowered by about 50%, indicating the involvement of iron oxides during sulfate reduction in methane seeps. The similar relative change between the oxygen versus sulfur isotopes of sulfate in all experiments (with and without hematite addition) suggests that oxidized forms of iron, naturally present in the sediment incubations, were involved in sulfate reduction, with hematite addition increasing the sulfate recycling or the activity of sulfur-cycling microorganisms by about 40%. Furthermore, these results highlight a role for natural iron oxides during bacterial sulfate reduction in methane seeps not only as nutrient but also as stimulator of sulfur recycling.

Research Organization:
California Institute of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0004949
OSTI ID:
1455038
Journal Information:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol. 111, Issue 40; ISSN 0027-8424
Publisher:
National Academy of SciencesCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 98 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Co-existence of Methanogenesis and Sulfate Reduction with Common Substrates in Sulfate-Rich Estuarine Sediments journal May 2017
Iron-dependent anaerobic oxidation of methane in coastal surface sediments: Potential controls and impact: Iron-dependent oxidation of methane journal April 2016
Rates and pathways of CH 4 oxidation in ferruginous Lake Matano, Indonesia journal December 2018
A Review of Landfill Microbiology and Ecology: A Call for Modernization With ‘Next Generation’ Technology journal June 2020
Global diffusive fluxes of methane in marine sediments journal May 2018
Rhizosphere to the atmosphere: contrasting methane pathways, fluxes and geochemical drivers across the terrestrial-aquatic wetland boundary posted_content January 2019
High Sulfur Isotope Fractionation Associated with Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane in a Low-Sulfate, Iron-Rich Environment journal June 2016
High-resolution sequencing reveals unexplored archaeal diversity in freshwater wetland soils: Freshwater wetland archaeal diversity journal March 2017
Anaerobic oxidation of methane alters sediment records of sulfur, iron and phosphorus in the Black Sea posted_content March 2016
Extreme 13C-depletions and organic sulfur content argue for S-fueled anaerobic methane oxidation in 2.72 Ga old stromatolites journal January 2019
Metal-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation in marine sediment: Insights from marine settings and other systems journal June 2019
Manganese/iron‐supported sulfate‐dependent anaerobic oxidation of methane by archaea in lake sediments journal November 2019
Monodeuterated methane: an isotopic probe to measure biological methane metabolism rates and track catabolic exchange reactions journal May 2016
Rhizosphere to the atmosphere: contrasting methane pathways, fluxes, and geochemical drivers across the terrestrial–aquatic wetland boundary journal January 2019
Formation of large carbonate concretions in black cherts in the Gufeng Formation (Guadalupian) at Enshi, South China journal September 2019
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Climate engineering by mimicking natural dust climate control: the iron salt aerosol method journal January 2017
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