钙华生物沉积作用研究进展与展望

弄清钙华生物沉积作用有助于更好地理解钙华微岩相结构和地球化学特征的气候环境指示意义。总结和综述了与钙华沉积相关的生物群落、生物成因钙华微岩相结构、钙华生物沉积作用过程及其对钙华地球化学特征影响的研究进展,并展望了未来的研究重点。细菌、藻类和苔藓等广泛参与到钙华沉积中,形成了许多不同类型的孔隙结构、晶体结构和纹层结构。生物沉积过程主要包括:①生物生长扰动水流使得CO2逸出;②代谢作用(如光合作用)过程诱导碳酸钙沉积;③"表面控制"过程影响晶体成核及生长。生物沉积作用驱动了元素的迁移转化,对沉积水体和钙华地球化学特征具有重要影响。钙华在地球生物学研究中具有重要潜力,未来需要加强现代钙华沉积中的物理化学和生物过程相互作用机制及其各自贡献的量化研究,以便准确地解译钙华沉积记录。

Biological Processes Responsible for Travertine Deposition:A Review and Future Prospect

The investigation of biological processes responsible for travertine deposition allows us to better understand the travertine petrographic and geochemical signatures as proxies of climatic and environmental change. This paper reviewed the organisms associated with travertines, the biotic micro?fabrics formed within travertines, the biological processes associated with travertine precipitation and their controls on travertine geochemical properties. Prospects of the future research on biological processes responsible for travertine precipitation were provided. Bacteria, algae and mosses are the most important organisms that involve in the precipitation of travertines. The growth of these organisms leads to the formation of a range of various porosity, crystal fabrics and lamination within travertines. Three main biological processes responsible for travertine deposition can be classified, including ① a process of aquatic plant growth generating a turbulent condition and consequent CO2 evasion,② a metabolic (mainly photosynthetic) process mediating carbonate precipitation and (3) a 'surface-control' process influencing nucleation and crystal growth. These processes play an important role in the migration and transformation of elements in travertine-depositing system and thus determine the properties of water chemistry and geochemistry of carbonate deposits. Travertine deposits have great potential to be valuable records for the geobiological study. Further investigation is required to simultaneously track biotic and abiotic interactions in modem travertine-depositing environments and quantify the contribution of these two processes and apply the results to accurately interpret travertine records.