DOI: 10.1128/aem.67.2.827-833.2001. Discovery and Description of Giant Submarine Smectite Cones on the Seafloor in Eyjafjordur, Northern Iceland, and a Novel Thermal Microbial Habitat

Discovery and Description of Giant Submarine Smectite Cones on the Seafloor in Eyjafjordur, Northern Iceland, and a Novel Thermal Microbial Habitat

10.1128/aem.67.2.827-833.2001

Crossref journal-article

American Society for Microbiology

Applied and Environmental Microbiology (235)

Abstract

ABSTRACTWith the submersible JAGO and by scuba diving we discovered three remarkable geothermal cones, rising 33, 25, and 45 m from the seafloor at a depth of 65 m in Eyjafjordur, northern Iceland. The greatest geothermal activity was on the highest cone, which discharged up to 50 liters of freshwater per s at 72°C and pH 10.0. The cones were built up from precipitated smectite, formed by mixing of the hot SiO2-rich geothermal fluid with the cold Mg-rich seawater. By connecting a rubber hose to one outflow, about 240 liters of pure geothermal fluids was concentrated through a 0.2-μm-pore-size filter. Among 50 thermophilic isolates, we found members ofBacillusandThermonemaand a new unidentified low-G+C gram-positive member of theBacteriaas well as one member of theArchaea,Desulfurococcus mobilis. Analysis of small-subunit rRNA genes PCR amplified and cloned directly from environmental DNA showed that 41 out of 45Bacteriasequences belonged to members of theAquificales, whereas all of the 10Archaeasequences belonged to theKorarchaeota. The physiological characteristics of isolates from different parts of the cones indicate a completely freshwater habitat, supporting the possibility of subterranean transmittance of terrestrial organisms.

Bibliography

Marteinsson, V. T., KristjaÌnsson, J. K., KristmannsdoÌttir, H., Dahlkvist, M., SÃ¦mundsson, K., Hannington, M., PeÌtursdoÌttir, S. K., Geptner, A., & Stoffers, P. (2001). Discovery and Description of Giant Submarine Smectite Cones on the Seafloor in Eyjafjordur, Northern Iceland, and a Novel Thermal Microbial Habitat. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 67(2), 827â833.

Authors 9

Viggó Thór Marteinsson (first)
Jakob K. Kristjánsson (additional)
Hrefna Kristmannsdóttir (additional)
Maria Dahlkvist (additional)
Kristján Sæmundsson (additional)
Mark Hannington (additional)
Sólveig K. Pétursdóttir (additional)
Alfred Geptner (additional)
Peter Stoffers (additional)

References 29 Referenced 84

Alfredsson G. A. Kristjánsson J. K. Ecology distribution and isolation of Thermus Thermus species. Biotechnology handbook. Sharp R. Williams R. 1995 43 66 Plenum Press New York N.Y (10.1007/978-1-4615-1831-0_2)
10.1073/pnas.91.5.1609
Baross J. A. Deming J. W. Growth at high temperatures: isolation and taxonomy physiology and ecology The microbiology of deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Karl D. M. 1995 169 217 CRC Press Boca Raton Fla
Björnsson A. Exploration of low-temperature geothermal fields for district heating in Akureyri, North Iceland. Geothermal Resour. Counc. Trans. 5 1981 495 498 / Geothermal Resour. Counc. Trans. / Exploration of low-temperature geothermal fields for district heating in Akureyri, North Iceland. by Björnsson A. (1981)
Björnsson A. Saemundsson K. Geothermal activity in the vicinity of Akureyri Orkustofnun report (OSJHD 7557). 1975 53 Orkustofnun Reykjavı́k Iceland
10.1016/0012-821X(84)90080-3
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Johannesson H. Saemundsson K. Geological map of Iceland (1:500000). 1998 Icelandic Institute of Natural History Reykjavı́k Iceland
10.1128/aem.52.6.1313-1316.1986
Kristmannsdottir H. Armannsson H. Sigurđsson K. H. Björnsson J. Ö. Olafsson M. Hauksdottir S. Hardardottir V. Sample treatment and analytical methods used at Orkustofnun laboratory Orkustofnun report (HK-HA-KHS-JÖB-MO-SH-VH 07). 1999 2 Orkustofnun Reykjavı́k Iceland
Kristmannsdottir H. Johnsson S. Chemistry and stable isotope composition of geothermal waters in the Eyjafjördur region, northern Iceland. Jökull 32 1982 83 90 (10.33799/jokull1982.32.083) / Jökull / Chemistry and stable isotope composition of geothermal waters in the Eyjafjördur region, northern Iceland. by Kristmannsdottir H. (1982)
10.1016/0375-6505(89)90027-8
Marteinsson V. T. Kristjansson J. K. Enumeration of thermophilic bacteria in district heating system in Iceland. Bakterier i varmtvannssystemer. Report no. 544. 1991 Nordistk Mineterraad Copenhagen Denmark
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Skirnisdottir S. G. O. Hreggvidsson O. Holst and J. K. Kristjansson. Isolation and characterization of a mixotrophic sulfur-oxidizing Thermus scotoductus. Extremophiles in press.
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Stoffers P. Botz R. Garbe-Schönber D. Hannington M. Hauzel B. Herzig P. Hissman K. Huber R. Kristjansson J. K. Petursdottir S. K. Schauer J. Schmitt M. Zimmer M. Kolbeinsey Ridge cruise report Poseidon 229a. 1997 Geologisch Palaontologisches Institut Kiel Germany
Sveinbjörnsdottir A. E. Arnorsson S. Heinemeier J. Boaretto E. Geochemistry of natural waters in Skagafjördur N-Iceland. II. Isotopes Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium on Water-Rock Interaction. A. A. 1998 653 656 Balkema Rotterdam The Netherlands
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Turekian K. K. The oceanic streams and atmosphere Handbook of geochemistry. Wedwpohl K. H. 1969 297 323 Springer New York N.Y (10.1007/978-3-642-46300-6_10)
10.1146/annurev.ea.18.050190.001133

Dates

Type	When
Created	23 years ago (July 27, 2002, 6:03 a.m.)
Deposited	2 years, 4 months ago (April 23, 2023, 11:37 a.m.)
Indexed	1 month, 2 weeks ago (July 8, 2025, 10:06 a.m.)
Issued	24 years, 6 months ago (Feb. 1, 2001)
Published	24 years, 6 months ago (Feb. 1, 2001)
Published Print	24 years, 6 months ago (Feb. 1, 2001)

Funders 0

None

BibTeX

@article{Marteinsson_2001, title={Discovery and Description of Giant Submarine Smectite Cones on the Seafloor in Eyjafjordur, Northern Iceland, and a Novel Thermal Microbial Habitat}, volume={67}, ISSN={1098-5336}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/aem.67.2.827-833.2001}, DOI={10.1128/aem.67.2.827-833.2001}, number={2}, journal={Applied and Environmental Microbiology}, publisher={American Society for Microbiology}, author={Marteinsson, Viggó Thór and Kristjánsson, Jakob K. and Kristmannsdóttir, Hrefna and Dahlkvist, Maria and Sæmundsson, Kristján and Hannington, Mark and Pétursdóttir, Sólveig K. and Geptner, Alfred and Stoffers, Peter}, year={2001}, month=feb, pages={827–833} }

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