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Encyclopedia of Geobiology pp 635–654Cite as

Microbialites, Stromatolites, and Thrombolites

  • Reference work entry

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

Microbialite

Definition

Microbialites are “organosedimentary deposits that have accreted as a result of a benthic microbial community trapping and binding detrital sediment and/or forming the locus of mineral precipitation” (Burne and Moore, 1987, pp. 241–242).

Introduction

Microbial carbonates are produced by the interaction of microbial growth and metabolism, cell surface properties, and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) with mineral precipitation and grain trapping. The early lithification that is essential for the accretion and preservation of benthic microbial carbonates is both biologically mediated and environmentally dependent. Consequently, microbialite history reflects not only microbial mat evolution, but also long-term changes in seawater and atmospheric chemistry that have influenced microbial metabolism and seawater carbonate saturation state.

Microbialites are in place benthic sediments produced by microbial processes. The term “microbialite” has been most widely...

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  1. Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, 1412 Circle Drive, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA

    Robert Riding

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Riding, R. (2011). Microbialites, Stromatolites, and Thrombolites. In: Reitner, J., Thiel, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geobiology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9212-1_196

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