Diversity and Preservation of Microbial Sediments in Continental Hot Spring Deposits: Examples from Patagonia (Jurassic) and New Zealand (Miocene-Recent)

CAMPBELL, K.; GUIDO, D.; WESTALL, F.; FOUCHER, F.

Conferencia; Biosignatures across space and time Conference; 2014

Considering the varied hot-spring deposits and their associated microbial communities identified, we develop a research on high-resolution delineation of microbial fingerprints from localized lagerstätte, hydrothermal (alteration) mineral signatures, silicification modes/timing, and fine-scale diagenetic transitions in facies of particular relevance to the early Earth and Mars. Some of the more promising habitat targets include sub-lacustrine hydrothermally influenced sediments, warm pool ?Conophyton? occurrences, iron springs, chemically reducing areas, and the shallow subsurface.