Nature Communications (Apr 2021)

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,
  • Jens Kallmeyer

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22453-0
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 1 – 9

Abstract

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The conditions that shaped Earth’s evolution during the Archaean and Proterozoic Eons remain unknown. Using Lake Towuti in Indonesia as an analog of early oceans the authors find that microbial methanogenesis exerts a strong influence with important implications for the composition of Earth’s early atmosphere.