現生チューブワーム生管における元素分布とその生息環境における炭酸塩基類生成

概要

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Tubes of living vestimentiferan worms were collected from a deep-sea cold seep and a submarine volcanic vent. Both habitats were characterized as chemically reductive conditions with high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide and methane. The cold seep site was also characterized by the formation of carbonate rocks such as high-magnesium calcite, to which vestimentiferan tubeworms anchored. Magnesium and calcium were concentrated on the surfaces of worm tubes, as revealed by the electron-probe X-ray microanalysis on the worm tube cross-sections. Iron, phosphorus and other minor elements were present mostly on the surfaces, but the distributional patterns were different from those of magnesium and calcium. Only sulfur accumulated inside of the tube material. The elemental distributions may be explained by the coupled processes of methane oxidation, sulfate reduction (=sulfide formation) and carbonate formationn, in the tubeworm habitats or in the tubeworm tissues.
日本古生物学会の論文
1996-06-30