Did hydrothermal vents push the frontiers of habitability on the early Earth?
Lead Research Organisation:
University of St Andrews
Department Name: Earth and Environmental Sciences
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are essential nutrients to all life on Earth. Scarcity of these nutrients can limit biological productivity while unrestricted supplies can lead to bacterial blooms with severe environmental impacts. Investigating the N and P cycles is therefore critical for topics ranging from life's origins to modern environmental change. The aim of this research programme is therefore to (a) create a new analytical centre for N and P geochemistry, including experimental facilities, (b) apply these tools to investigate underexplored pathways of N and P cycling, and (c) incorporate bioinformatic data to reconstruct the biological utilisation of rare P species. The proposed project will represent the first set of applications of the new analytical facilities.
The major thrust of this project is the fundamental question how early life was sustained. Several lines of evidence suggest that primary productivity was severely suppressed throughout the Precambrian, because phosphate and nitrate - the two major forms of P and N in the modern ocean - were much less soluble in ancient oceans. We hypothesise that submarine volcanism, which sets off hydrothermal convection cells through oceanic crust, generated reduced forms of nitrogen and phosphorus and thus created important point sources of nutrients for early life. To test this hypothesis, we will develop a new hydrothermal reaction chamber that allows us to conduct experiments under elevated pressures and temperatures, reminiscent of deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Different gases (N2, CO2, CH4), fluids (saline, fresh), phosphate phases and catalytic minerals (magnetite, sulphides) will be added to the reactor under a range of conditions. The products will be analysed for nitrogen isotopic ratios (15N/14N) and phosphorus speciation.
The main objectives are:
* Measure the isotopic fractionation associated with abiotic hydrothermal N2 reduction to ammonium and organic amines. These results will allow us to re-visit the existing N isotopic record (including organic-rich sedimentary rocks and hydrothermally influenced strata) and determine if hydrothermal N sources played a significant role in Precambrian biogeochemical cycles.
* Quantify the yield of hydrothermal phosphate reduction to phosphite. Phosphite, a reduced form of P, is significantly more soluble than phosphate. Previous experiments have shown that phosphite can be produced from the reduction of simple phosphate salts. We will conduct new experiments with natural phosphate minerals to derive reaction efficiencies for hydrothermal scenarios. We will also measure how much phosphite is taken up into minerals to create a calibration for geochemical measurements of phosphate in the rock record.
* Reconstruct the radiation of phosphite-using enzymes across the tree of life. Phylogenetic data and molecular clocks will be used to infer the birth, loss and transfer of relevant genes. This analysis will reveal if phosphite utilisation did indeed scale with the extent of hydrothermal activity on early Earth, which would support our hypothesis of hydrothermal phosphite sources.
The results from this work will advance our understanding of how early life was sustained. If we can show that hydrothermal vents are significant sources of bioavailable phosphite and reduced nitrogen, this would have major implications for the habitability of other volcanically active planets. The analytical setup that will be developed and optimised under the umbrella of this project would open up further possibilities for future studies of ancient and modern nutrient cycling. For example, the experimental setup will allow investigating the behaviour of critical metals under hydrothermal conditions, and the analytical suite will create new opportunities to study N and P cycling in modern polluted settings. The facilities would thus create a new analytical centre in the UK and place the PI at the frontier of biogeochemical research.
The major thrust of this project is the fundamental question how early life was sustained. Several lines of evidence suggest that primary productivity was severely suppressed throughout the Precambrian, because phosphate and nitrate - the two major forms of P and N in the modern ocean - were much less soluble in ancient oceans. We hypothesise that submarine volcanism, which sets off hydrothermal convection cells through oceanic crust, generated reduced forms of nitrogen and phosphorus and thus created important point sources of nutrients for early life. To test this hypothesis, we will develop a new hydrothermal reaction chamber that allows us to conduct experiments under elevated pressures and temperatures, reminiscent of deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Different gases (N2, CO2, CH4), fluids (saline, fresh), phosphate phases and catalytic minerals (magnetite, sulphides) will be added to the reactor under a range of conditions. The products will be analysed for nitrogen isotopic ratios (15N/14N) and phosphorus speciation.
The main objectives are:
* Measure the isotopic fractionation associated with abiotic hydrothermal N2 reduction to ammonium and organic amines. These results will allow us to re-visit the existing N isotopic record (including organic-rich sedimentary rocks and hydrothermally influenced strata) and determine if hydrothermal N sources played a significant role in Precambrian biogeochemical cycles.
* Quantify the yield of hydrothermal phosphate reduction to phosphite. Phosphite, a reduced form of P, is significantly more soluble than phosphate. Previous experiments have shown that phosphite can be produced from the reduction of simple phosphate salts. We will conduct new experiments with natural phosphate minerals to derive reaction efficiencies for hydrothermal scenarios. We will also measure how much phosphite is taken up into minerals to create a calibration for geochemical measurements of phosphate in the rock record.
* Reconstruct the radiation of phosphite-using enzymes across the tree of life. Phylogenetic data and molecular clocks will be used to infer the birth, loss and transfer of relevant genes. This analysis will reveal if phosphite utilisation did indeed scale with the extent of hydrothermal activity on early Earth, which would support our hypothesis of hydrothermal phosphite sources.
The results from this work will advance our understanding of how early life was sustained. If we can show that hydrothermal vents are significant sources of bioavailable phosphite and reduced nitrogen, this would have major implications for the habitability of other volcanically active planets. The analytical setup that will be developed and optimised under the umbrella of this project would open up further possibilities for future studies of ancient and modern nutrient cycling. For example, the experimental setup will allow investigating the behaviour of critical metals under hydrothermal conditions, and the analytical suite will create new opportunities to study N and P cycling in modern polluted settings. The facilities would thus create a new analytical centre in the UK and place the PI at the frontier of biogeochemical research.
Publications
Baidya A
(2024)
Moderate and high-temperature metamorphic conditions produced diverse phosphorous species for the origin of life
in Communications Earth & Environment
Baidya AS
(2024)
On-line chloride removal from ion chromatography for trace-level analyses of phosphite and other anions by coupled ion chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.
in Rapid communications in mass spectrometry : RCM
Barth P
(2023)
Isotopic constraints on lightning as a source of fixed nitrogen in Earth's early biosphere
in Nature Geoscience
Barth P
(2021)
MOVES - IV. Modelling the influence of stellar XUV-flux, cosmic rays, and stellar energetic particles on the atmospheric composition of the hot Jupiter HD 189733b
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Barth P
(2024)
The effect of lightning on the atmospheric chemistry of exoplanets and potential biosignatures
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Boden JS
(2024)
Timing the evolution of phosphorus-cycling enzymes through geological time using phylogenomics.
in Nature communications
Boocock T
(2023)
A primary magmatic source of nitrogen to Earth's crust
in Nature Geoscience
Boocock T
(2023)
Equilibrium partitioning and isotopic fractionation of nitrogen between biotite, plagioclase, and K-feldspar during magmatic differentiation
in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
| Description | * We have developed a new analytical method to measure different redox species of phosphorus at very low concentrations by coupled IC-ICPMS. This method involves on-line removal of chloride ions, enable analyses of a wider range of natural and environmental samples than otherwise. This development is important, because reduced phosphorus species such as hypophosphite or phosphite are much more soluble than phosphate in water and may therefore play an important role in biogeochemical cycles. With this new method, we are able test this hypothesis. * Applying the new analytical technique, we have found that phosphate reduction to phosphite is favored in the presence of H2 at elevated temperature. This finding may explain previous observations of phosphite in hydrothermally altered rocks and indicates that hydrothermal processes have the potential to generate phosphite as a bioavailable P-species. We further identified a series of polyphosphate molecules in experiments at moderate temperature of 100-200 degrees C. Polyphosphates are molecules where phosphate ions are bound into a chain or circle, and they are highly reactive towards organic matter, making them potentially important players in prebiotic chemistry. Our results identify a new natural pathway of generating these compounds in metamorphic settings. * We have also applied this technique to a series of iron formations from the Paleoproterozoic and found low levels of phosphite. Paired with new adsorption experiments, we discovered that phosphite may have been a significant constituent of Paleoproterozoic seawater. This is the first quantification of the marine phosphite reservoir in the Proterozoic. * Using bioinformatics, we have found that biological phosphite metabolisms expanded across the tree of life after the Paleoproterozoic Great Oxidation Event at ca. 2.3 billion years ago. This finding likely indicates increased biological productivity and competition for P-species, as well as biological phosphite production. Using calibrations of the various P-uptake enzymes to modern settings, we are able to provide a new estimate of seawater P concentrations in the Precambrian. This finding agrees well with our geochemical data from Banded Iron Formations. * Bioinformatics paired with computational modelling has revealed that serpentinization is likely not a major source of reduced P to the biosphere, but it can supply phosphite locally at the mineral-scale under low water/rock ratios. This finding has implications for the role of serpentinization in supplying bioavailble P on the early Earth where serpentinization was likely more widespread than it is today. * We also investigated numerous aspects pertaining to the early nitrogen cycle and its linkage to hydrothermal processes. A key finding includes efficient recycling of organic-bound ammonium by hydrothermal fluids, which we have now been able to demonstrate from multiple basins. This recycling flux may have been crucial for maintaining biological productivity. We have also found that nitrogen species can be incorporated into FeMn oxides forming in the deep sea, creating a heretofore unknown archive of nitrogen in the sedimentary record. * Through magmatic-hydrothermal processes, we have shown that ammonium can be transferred into the igneous rock record, which has implications for the evolution of atmospheric pressure over Earth's history. The record of N in the crust may further provide indirect evidence of biological productivity. * We were also able to uncover another aspect of the N cycle that may have been important on the early Earth: lightning discharge in a CO2-rich atmosphere. Our data show that this flux could have been similar to the modern; however, the isotopic results indicate that lightning did probably not sustain the biosphere for very long. Instead, biological nitrogen fixation, perhaps paired with hydrothermal recycling fluxes of ammonium as noted above, have likely dominated the N supply to life on Earth since at least the mid-Archean (3.2 GA). * Ongoing work explores abiotic N fixation, phosphate reduction during serpentinization experiments with natural olivine, and natural phosphite occurrences. |
| Exploitation Route | We anticipate that the results will stimulate follow-up research on biogeochemical cycles in deep time. More practically, our results on phosphorus redox chemistry may be of use for the environmental sector, as reduced phosphorus species may be more common in the modern environment than previously thought with potential implications for fertilization of primary producers. |
| Sectors | Environment |
| Title | Online chloride removal for phosphite analysis |
| Description | Ion chromatography (IC) combined with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) is an ideal tool for measuring low concentrations of anionic species such as phosphite; however, the high concentration of chloride and other anions in natural solutions may negatively impact chromatographic separation and data quality. We developed an on-line mechanism of removing chloride from a sample within an ion chromatograph, using an additional valve and a separation column that transfers chloride to waste while phosphite and most other anions are retained. We installed this system in a coupled IC/ICPMS system (ICS6000 and Element 2 in medium-resolution mode) and determined linearity and detection limits. In addition, we measured phosphorus species by NMR for comparison as an alternative method for phosphite determination. Chloride was fully removed from the samples while phosphite was retained and could be analysed by IC/ICPMS. Concentrations could be measured down to 0.003 µmol/L and possibly less with good linearity over the explored range (up to 1.615 µmol/L; r2 = 0.999). In contrast, the detection limit by NMR was 6.46 µmol/L. The on-line removal mechanism works well for simplifying sample matrices. It removes the need for costly pre-analytical sample treatment with OnGuard columns. We confirm that IC/ICPMS is the most powerful technique for quantifying phosphite in natural solutions. The new chloride-removal method may also be applicable to analyses of other anions. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | This method has enabled numerous follow-up analyses of reduced P in experimental and natural samples, resulting in publications, conference talks, and manuscripts in review. See publication list for details. |
| Title | Analytical results from lightning discharge experiments focusing on interactions between nitrogen oxides and pyrite |
| Description | The dataset includes measurements of dissolved and gaseous nitrogen oxides (nitrite, nitrate, NO(g)) generated by lightning discharge in a glass container partially filled with water, as well as measurements of dissolves sulfate and iron liberated from pyrite that has interacted with the nitrogen oxides. The lightning discharge experiments were carried out with either anoxic gas mixture (5% or 20% CO2 and the rest N2) or modern air. Lightning has long been identified as a source of reactive nitrogen species to Earth's early biosphere. These experiments were therefore conducted in order to test how this reactive nitrogen would interact with minerals at the Earth's surface. The results reveal that lightning-generated nitrogen oxides could have contributed to a small degree to oxidative weathering. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The data show that pyrite, one of the most important host minerals of micronutrients and a common product of hydrothermal processes, can be oxidized and dissolved by nitric oxides formed during lightning under Archean conditions. |
| URL | https://www2.bgs.ac.uk/nationalgeosciencedatacentre/citedData/catalogue/9d11f724-6abe-4b70-9471-dc29... |
| Title | Boocock et al_Behaviour of N during differentiation - Hekla |
| Description | Raw and compiled N data, major/trace element data and other isotopic data for the Hekla volcanic system. Data supports nitrogen not behaving as a volatile element and not degassing during magmatic differentiation. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The data show for the first time that ammonium in magma behaves like a large ion lithophile element that partitions into felsic melts. The implication is that Earth's earliest crust may already have been enriched in ammonium above mantle background levels. |
| URL | https://springernature.figshare.com/articles/dataset/Boocock_et_al_Behaviour_of_N_during_differentia... |
| Title | Boocock et al_Behaviour of N during differentiation - Hekla |
| Description | Raw and compiled N data, major/trace element data and other isotopic data for the Hekla volcanic system. Data supports nitrogen not behaving as a volatile element and not degassing during magmatic differentiation. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The data show for the first time that ammonium in magma behaves like a large ion lithophile element that partitions into felsic melts. The implication is that Earth's earliest crust may already have been enriched in ammonium above mantle background levels. |
| URL | https://springernature.figshare.com/articles/dataset/Boocock_et_al_Behaviour_of_N_during_differentia... |
| Title | Bootstrapped gene trees |
| Description | All bootstrapped phylogenetic trees for each gene included in this study. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The data are used to show the distribution of phosphorus-metabolizing enzymes across the tree of life and reveal that phosphite metabolisms only arose around the Archean-Paleoproterozoic boundary with implications for the growth of the biosphere and the marine phosphite and phosphate reservoirs. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Bootstrapped_gene_trees/20369313/1 |
| Title | Composition of starting materials, conditions under which those materials were heated to metamorphic temperatures and analytical results, including mineralogy and phosphorus speciation |
| Description | The dataset includes results from laboratory experiments aiming to explore the reduction and polymerization potential of phosphorus under metamorphic conditions. Table 1 shows the initial composition of the starting materials, as well as the conditions under which those materials were heated to metamorphic temperatures. Table 2 shows the analytical results, including mineralogy and phosphorus speciation. The results show that phosphate polymerization occurs at moderate temperatures of a <100 to ca. 300 degrees whereas phosphate reduction increases with increasing temperature. The presence of metallic catalysts impacts both processes. The results imply that a diverse suite of phosphorus species can be created during metamorphism, which may explain previous reports of reduced phosphorus in high-grade metamorphic rocks. This is relevant for the origin of life, where such species may have been important precursors for phosphorylated biomolecules. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | This dataset greatly expands our knowledge of how phosphite can be formed under metamorphic conditions by reduction of phosphate coupled to iron oxidation. The results facilitate interpretation of the rock record and place constraints on natural phosphite sources. |
| URL | https://www2.bgs.ac.uk/nationalgeosciencedatacentre/citedData/catalogue/09e6ba99-b41a-4ab9-baf4-66c6... |
| Title | Estuaries house Earth's oldest known non-marine eukaryotes (dataset) |
| Description | The dataset contains sulfur isotopes and metal abundances from the Diabaig Formation and Sleat Group in northwestern Scotland. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The data indicate low-salinity conditions in the environment where these rocks were deposited. Together with sedimentological evidence of tital activity, they suggest deposition in an estuarine environment. This implies that eukaryotic microfossils found in these rocks were residing in low-salinity estuarine conditions, perhaps able to migrate into freshwater and marine environments. |
| URL | https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/datasets/estuaries-house-earths-oldest-known-nonmarine-e... |
| Title | Geochemical data from hot springs and associated bed rocks worldwide along with Mars samples and meteorites |
| Description | Concentrations of various elements along with temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen, in hot spring fluids around the world. Bedrock chemistry data for Mars, in situ samples and meteorites, also included. Data from Iceland were partly generated in this study, other data are taken from the literature for comparison. Also included are literature data about associated bedrocks. Sheet 1: concentrations of dissolved elements in hot spring fluids Sheet 2: concentrations of elements in bedrock associated with hot springs Sheet 3: averages of bedrock data Sheet 4: full reference list |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| URL | https://www2.bgs.ac.uk/nationalgeosciencedatacentre/citedData/catalogue/49b34dca-2726-4eba-a166-b6ad... |
| Title | Geochemical data from sediments and porewaters of shallow sediment cores from hydrothermal seeps in the Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California |
| Description | The dataset includes organic carbon and nitrogen isotope data, as well as elemental abundance data from marine sediments that were obtained by push corers from hydrothermal seeps in the modern Guaymas Basin, Gulf of Mexico. Also included are pore water measurements of ammonium concentrations and nitrogen isotopes of dissolved ammonium, as well as sediment temperatures. Sheet 1: core information, including geographic position and water depth. Sheet 2: sedimentary organic carbon and nitrogen isotope data Sheet 3: core temperatures Sheet 4: sedimentary elemental abundances for major, minor and trace elements Sheet 5: pore water ammonium concentrations and isotopic compositions |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The data show that hydrothermal seeps in the Guaymas basin are remobilizing nitrogen and making it bioavailable for the biosphere in the overlying sediments and water column. The results allow placing quantitative limits on this process for the first time. |
| URL | https://www2.bgs.ac.uk/nationalgeosciencedatacentre/citedData/catalogue/53da3dd9-e831-4c4e-8879-c8e8... |
| Title | Isua Greenstone Belt, sulfur isotope data |
| Description | Triple-sulfur isotope data from schists and carbonates in the Eoarchean Isua Greenstone Belt (3.7 Ga), using a new leaching technique and a multi-collector ICP-MS. The results reveal distinct pattern between the two lithologies and demonstrate an atmospheric contribution of sulfur in both cases. This may support the notion that these rocks represent metamorphosed marine sediments. However, hydrothermal alteration needs to be assessed in more detail to verify the antiquity of these signatures. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The results reveal that some of the oldest metasedimentary rocks on Earth contain sulfur with an atmospheric signature, consistent with the interpretation of a sedimentary setting. Minor hydrothermal contributions provided elevated concentrations of copper and molybdenum, which may have been bioavailable at that time 3.7 billion years ago. |
| URL | https://www2.bgs.ac.uk/nationalgeosciencedatacentre/citedData/catalogue/f3246647-d8bd-4d21-9c4a-4079... |
| Title | Linkages between nitrogen cycling, nitrogen isotopes, and environmental properties in paleo-lake basins (dataset) |
| Description | nitrogen isotopes, carbon isotopes, total organic carbon concentrations, total nitrogen concentration. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The data show that nitrogen isotopes in hydrothermally influenced alkaline lakes can show large isotopic fractionations as a result of ammonia degassing. This signature can thus help identify alkaline settings in the rock record. |
| URL | https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/datasets/linkages-between-nitrogen-cycling-nitrogen-isotop... |
| Title | Mechanisms of nitrogen isotope fractionation at an ancient black smoker in the 2.7 Ga Abitibi greenstone belt, Canada (dataset) |
| Description | Nitrogen isotopes, metal abundances, total organic carbon and nitrogen concentrations. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The results show that ammonium was hydrothermally mobilized 2.7 billion years ago and dispersed into the global ocean. Large isotopic fractionations may reflect either abiotic ammonia degassing at high temperature or biological ammonium uptake deeper in the vent system. |
| URL | https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/datasets/mechanisms-of-nitrogen-isotope-fractionation-at... |
| Title | Nitrogen fixation rates and isotopic measurements of aqueous nitrite and nitrate from spark discharge experiments |
| Description | Concentrations of gaseous and aqueous fixed nitrogen products and isotopic measurements of aqueous nitrite and nitrate in spark discharge experiments. Spark experiments were conducted at the University of St Andrews in the St Andrews Isotope Geochemistry Lab (StAIG) between November 2020 and February 2022. Analysis of gaseous products was carried out with a quadrupole mass spectrometer (Hiden Analytical ExQ Quantitative Gas Analyser) in St Andrews. Measurement of concentrations of aqueous nitrite and nitrate and their isotopic composition were carried out for one part of the samples in St Andrews and for the other part at Brown University, Rhode Island, USA. Experiments with a different type of artificial seawater were carried out and analysed for nitrite concentration (colorimetric method) and pH in St Andrews. The data was collected to investigate the efficiency of nitrogen fixation by lightning in different gas compositions, resembling the atmospheres of modern and early Earth. The isotope data was used to determine the role of lightning in the delivery of nutrients to the earliest ecosystems on Earth by comparing our results to measurements of sedimentary rock samples from the Archean. The experimental set up was built by Patrick Barth and Eva E. Stüeken, the experiments were conducted by Patrick Barth, Lukas Rossmanith, and Yuqian Peng, the analysis conducted by Patrick Barth, Lukas Rossmanith, Yuqian Peng, and Wendell Walters with support from Mark Claire, and the data was analysed by Patrick Barth, Eva E. Stüeken, Christiane Helling, and Wendell Walters. This dataset includes all data that is reliable and was used in the accompanying publication. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The results reveal a distinct isotopic signature in lightning products that may be traceable in sedimentary settings. Furthermore, the data confirm previous suggestions that lightning can fix nitrogen, but the products would have been overall less oxidized in the Archean atmosphere than they are today. |
| URL | https://www2.bgs.ac.uk/nationalgeosciencedatacentre/citedData/catalogue/81dfa4de-5a47-479f-8de8-15e5... |
| Title | Nitrogen isotope and abundance data from brine seeps in the Gulf of Mexico |
| Description | Nitrogen isotope and abundance data from brine seeps in the Gulf of Mexico. Three data tables show (1) Electrical Conductivity data for three sediment cores, (2) carbon and nitrogen data from all sediment cores investigated in this study, and (3) ammonium concentrations and isotopic data from brine pool samples. The results show high enrichments of ammonium in the brines, indicating that the brines actively mobilize bioavailable nitrogen back into the water column. Isotopic data reveal evidence of dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium at the brine-seawater interface. Brine seeps have long been implicated in the formation of sediment-hosted hydrothermal ore deposits. Our results support the notion that brines may have stimulated biological productivity, facilitating trapping of metals in brine seep environments. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The data show that saline seeps in the Gulf of Mexico have the ability to remobilize ammonium and disperse it into the overlying water column, creating a flux of this key nutrient. |
| URL | https://www2.bgs.ac.uk/nationalgeosciencedatacentre/citedData/catalogue/39988664-4361-4bee-a4ad-3f40... |
| Title | Nitrogen isotopic composition of microbial biomass grown in the laboratory under N2-fixing conditions |
| Description | Nitrogen isotopic composition of microbial biomass grown in the laboratory under N2-fixing conditions. Also included are meta-data that describe the experimental conditions. The conditions were chosen to mimic specific parameters of the early Earth, in particular variable CO2 and O2 supplies, to test if d15N data recorded in ancient biomass in the rock record is affected. Also included are data from the wider literature for comparison, as well as the results of statistical tests. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | This is the most systematic investigation of isotpic fractionation during biological N2 fixation to date. This dataset thus provides an important reference point for the interpretation of geochemical datasets. |
| URL | https://www2.bgs.ac.uk/nationalgeosciencedatacentre/citedData/catalogue/103983f8-b777-418c-9c4d-ba57... |
| Title | Phosphite and phosphate adsorption fractions on experimental iron oxides in natural banded iron formations |
| Description | The data include measurements of adsorption experiments, where the adsorption fraction of phosphite and phosphate on experimentally-prepared ferric iron oxides were measured. The amounts of phosphate and phosphate as well as iron retained in solution were measured to calculate the fractions adsorbed relative to iron precipitated. In addition, total phorphorus and iron concentrations as well as phosphite and phosphate concentrations in leachates of natural banded iron formation samples from the Neoarchean to Paleoproterozoic. For the BIF samples, also XRD data are presented. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The dataset constitutes the first demonstration of phosphite incorporation into iron oxides, both experimentally and in nature. The combined results allow reconstructing the phosphite reservoir of the early ocean. |
| URL | https://www2.bgs.ac.uk/nationalgeosciencedatacentre/citedData/catalogue/dc1d80f5-db1e-42ef-9e07-b398... |
| Title | Spark experiments and photochemical simulations to identify lightning signatures in planetary atmospheres (dataset) |
| Description | The dataset includes analytical results of gases produced in spark-discharge experiments, as well as photochemical simulations testing if these lightning products would be detectable on an exoplanetary atmosphere. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The results provide a benchmark for the detectability of lightning on other planets and thus for a source of nutrients for early life. |
| URL | https://research-portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/en/datasets/spark-experiments-and-photochemical-simulations... |
| Title | Stoer Group and Sibley Group nitrogen geochemistry in red beds |
| Description | Nitrogen abundances in red shales are shown to be suitable as a biosignature that may be applicable to red beds on Mars. The data set includes organic carbon and nitrogen abundances and isotopic ratios, carbonate carbon and oxygen isotope ratios, and metal abundances. We evaluate potential abiotic effects and discuss diagenetic scenarios that lead to an enrichment of ammonium in clay minerals. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The data show that nitrogen can become enriched in red shales as ammonium trapped in clay minerals. This finding suggests that red beds on Mars may be able to record biosignatures. |
| URL | https://www2.bgs.ac.uk/nationalgeosciencedatacentre/citedData/catalogue/866ad7c1-a865-4777-958f-c08b... |
| Title | ToL_Final_alignment.faa |
| Description | Concatenated sequence alignment for all ribosomal genes used to generate the tree of life used in this study. See Methods for further details. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The data are used to show the distribution of phosphorus-metabolizing enzymes across the tree of life and reveal that phosphite metabolisms only arose around the Archean-Paleoproterozoic boundary with implications for the growth of the biosphere and the marine phosphite and phosphate reservoirs. |
| URL | https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/ToL_Final_alignment_faa/20369301/1 |
| Description | Phosphate reduction thermodynamics |
| Organisation | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We performed new phosphate reduction experiments in the laboratory and derived reduction yields over a range of temperatures and compositions. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The collaborator performed thermodynamic modelling to demonstrate that our experimental findings are consistent with theoretical predictions. In addition, he provided feedback on the interpretation of the experimental results. |
| Impact | Baidya, A.S., Pasek, M.A. and Stüeken, E.E., 2024. Moderate and high-temperature metamorphic conditions produced diverse phosphorous species for the origin of life. Communications Earth & Environment, 5(1), p.491. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Rare Earth Element systematics |
| Organisation | Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität Hannover |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I performed nitrogen, carbon and sulfur isotope analyses on stromatolite samples to asses the response of these proxies to changing environmental conditions. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The collaborator provided analyses of Rare Earth Elements of carbonates to assess relative contributions of hydrothermal fluids and continental runoff, as well as local redox conditions. |
| Impact | Stu¨eken, E.E., Viehmann, S. and Hohl, S.V., 2023. Exploring the effects of residence time on the utility of stable isotopes and S/C ratios as proxies for ocean connectivity. ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, 7(7), pp.1337-1349. Stüeken, E.E., Viehmann, S. and Hohl, S.V., 2022. Contrasting nutrient availability between marine and brackish waters in the late Mesoproterozoic: Evidence from the Paranoá Group, Brazil. Geobiology, 20(2), pp.159-174. |
| Start Year | 2021 |