Identifying microbial life in rocks: Insights from population morphometry

Identifying microbial life in rocks: Insights from population morphometry

Rouillard, J., García-Ruiz, J. M., Kah, L., Gérard, E., Barrier, L., Nabhan, S., … & van Zuilen, M. A. (2019). Identifying microbial life in rocks: Insights from population morphometry. Geobiology. Download here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gbi.12377 The identification of cellular life in the rock record is problematic, since microbial life forms, and particularly bacteria, lack sufficient morphologic complexity to be effectively distinguished from certain abiogenic features in rocks. Examples include organic pore‐fillings, hydrocarbon‐containing fluid inclusions, organic coatings on exfoliated…

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Field trip to Ronda peridotites (Malaga, Spain)

Field trip to Ronda peridotites (Malaga, Spain)

A second field trip to the Ronda peridotites was carried out on the 2-5th May 2016 in order to investigate in more details the geochemistry of the alkaline waters and the occurring mineralization. We collected several water and solid samples to examine the chemical profiles of river and hyperalkaline spring waters, as well as the phases and textures of the present carbonate minerals. Finally, we conducted an additional field trip to the alkaline springs in…

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A big ”Thank you” to all the ERC officials from the members of the Prometheus project

A big ”Thank you” to all the ERC officials from the members of the Prometheus project

ERC  (European Research Council) projects have earned an excellent reputation within and outside Europe. They are difficult projects to obtain, but once you get one, you can understand that they are designed specifically for the leading scientists of each project and the people who are going to carry them out. It is evident that the ERC officials are there to help and facilitate the research under a strict framework of legality. From the evaluation to…

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On the controls of mineral assemblages and textures in alkaline springs, Samail Ophiolite, Oman

On the controls of mineral assemblages and textures in alkaline springs, Samail Ophiolite, Oman

Giampouras, M., Garrido, C. J., Bach, W., Los, C., Fussmann, D., Monien, P., & García-Ruiz, J. M. (2020). On the controls of mineral assemblages and textures in alkaline springs, Samail Ophiolite, Oman. Chemical Geology, 533, 119435. Download here: https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S0009254119305649?token=FACA37743A2F972AE2B911F77A8DCCDEACF06A0C63789FD0DBD05292BFA1840E2464C5ECD037CC97ADD42D8E8A33CEDC Interactions between meteoric water and ultramafic rocks in the Oman Ophiolite generate waters of variable physicochemical characteristics. The discharge of these waters forms complex alkaline pool networks, in which mineral precipitation is triggered by mixing, evaporation, and uptake…

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Geochemistry and mineralogy of serpentinization-driven hyperalkaline springs in the Ronda peridotites

Geochemistry and mineralogy of serpentinization-driven hyperalkaline springs in the Ronda peridotites

Giampouras, M., Garrido, C. J., Zwicker, J., Vadillo, I., Smrzka, D., Bach, W., … & García-Ruiz, J. M. (2019). Geochemistry and mineralogy of serpentinization-driven hyperalkaline springs in the Ronda peridotites. Lithos, 350, 105215. Download here: https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S0024493719303743?token=F0784FC81F5A036EDA8C552FF36661EC672B7D471A5884AAF2A4DC869AEB9BAD907638B73D29C64A5FA0E30461D5CCD4 We present a detailed study of the water geochemistry, mineralogy and textures in serpentinization-related hyperalkaline springs in the Ronda peridotites. Ronda waters can be classified into hyperalkaline fluids and river waters that are broadly similar to Ca2+–OH– and Mg2+–HCO3– water types described in…

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A Polyextreme Hydrothermal System Controlled by Iron: The Case of Dallol at the Afar Triangle

A Polyextreme Hydrothermal System Controlled by Iron: The Case of Dallol at the Afar Triangle

Kotopoulou, E., Delgado Huertas, A., Garcia-Ruiz, J. M., Dominguez-Vera, J. M., Lopez-Garcia, J. M., Guerra-Tschuschke, I., & Rull, F. (2018). A Polyextreme hydrothermal system controlled by iron: the case of Dallol at the Afar triangle. ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, 3(1), 90-99. Download here: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.8b00141 One of the latest volcanic features of the Erta Ale range at the Afar Triangle (NE Ethiopia) has created a polyextreme hydrothermal system located at the Danakil depression on top of a…

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Symbiosis of Silica Biomorphs and Magnetite Mesocrystals

Symbiosis of Silica Biomorphs and Magnetite Mesocrystals

Opel, J., Brunner, J., Zimmermanns, R., Steegmans, T., Sturm, E., Kellermeier, M., … & García‐Ruiz, J. M. (2019). Symbiosis of Silica Biomorphs and Magnetite Mesocrystals. Advanced Functional Materials, 29(37), 1902047. Download here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/adfm.201902047 Silica biomorphs are extraordinary inorganic superstructures formed via autocatalytic co‐precipitation and bottom‐up self‐assembly of alkaline‐earth carbonates and silica. However, they show no inherent functionality except for their striking textural motifs and curved morphologies. This work presents strategies to magnetize silica biomorphs, thus creating thermally…

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Hybrid Biomimetic Materials from Silica/Carbonate Biomorphs

Hybrid Biomimetic Materials from Silica/Carbonate Biomorphs

Opel, J., Unglaube, N., Wörner, M., Kellermeier, M., Cölfen, H., & García-Ruiz, J. M. (2019). Hybrid biomimetic materials from silica/carbonate biomorphs. Crystals, 9(3), 157. Download here: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/9/3/157 The formation of a polymer protection layer around fragile mineral architectures ensures that structures stay intact even after treatments that would normally destroy them going along with a total loss of textural information. Here we present a strategy to preserve the shape of silica-carbonate biomorphs with polymers. This method converts…

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