Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
4704121 Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 2010 10 Pages PDF
Abstract

In situ Gibbs energies of reaction (ΔG) for acetate-oxidizing sulfate reduction, acetate-oxidizing iron reduction, and acetoclastic methanogenesis, and sulfate-reducing methanotrophy are consistently negative and relatively constant throughout most of the sediment column at the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 1226. The energy yields (−ΔG) closely match the values (for acetate-oxidizing sulfate reduction and acetoclastic methanogenesis) in published culturing experiments with actively growing cells and, for sulfate-reducing methanotrophy, in other environments.Although microbes mediating these reactions compete for substrates, mutualistic interactions between them appear to sustain their co-existence in deep subseafloor sediments for millions of years (the interval over which the sediments have been deposited). These competing and mutualistic interactions collectively constitute a highly coupled reaction network where relative rates of reaction are regulated by the in situ Gibbs energies of reaction.

Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Earth and Planetary Sciences Geochemistry and Petrology
Authors
, , ,