Organic matter mineralization in modern and ancient ferruginous sediments

André Friese, Kohen Bauer, Clemens Glombitza, Luis Ordoñez, Daniel Ariztegui, Verena B. Heuer, Aurèle Vuillemin, Cynthia Henny, Sulung Nomosatryo, Rachel Simister, Dirk Wagner, Satria Bijaksana, Hendrik Vogel, Martin Melles, James M. Russell, Sean A. Crowe () and Jens Kallmeyer ()
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André Friese: GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences
Kohen Bauer: University of British Columbia
Clemens Glombitza: Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics
Luis Ordoñez: University of Geneva
Daniel Ariztegui: University of Geneva
Verena B. Heuer: University of Bremen
Aurèle Vuillemin: GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences
Cynthia Henny: Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Cibinong
Sulung Nomosatryo: GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences
Rachel Simister: University of British Columbia
Dirk Wagner: GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences
Satria Bijaksana: Institut Teknologi Bandung
Hendrik Vogel: University of Bern
Martin Melles: University of Cologne
James M. Russell: Brown University
Sean A. Crowe: University of British Columbia
Jens Kallmeyer: GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Deposition of ferruginous sediment was widespread during the Archaean and Proterozoic Eons, playing an important role in global biogeochemical cycling. Knowledge of organic matter mineralization in such sediment, however, remains mostly conceptual, as modern ferruginous analogs are largely unstudied. Here we show that in sediment of ferruginous Lake Towuti, Indonesia, methanogenesis dominates organic matter mineralization despite highly abundant reactive ferric iron phases like goethite that persist throughout the sediment. Ferric iron can thus be buried over geologic timescales even in the presence of labile organic carbon. Coexistence of ferric iron with millimolar concentrations of methane further demonstrates lack of iron-dependent methane oxidation. With negligible methane oxidation, methane diffuses from the sediment into overlying waters where it can be oxidized with oxygen or escape to the atmosphere. In low-oxygen ferruginous Archaean and Proterozoic oceans, therefore, sedimentary methane production was likely favored with strong potential to influence Earth’s early climate.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22453-0

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