Cryoconite: what, where, how, why? by Liz Bagshaw скачать в хорошем качестве

Cryoconite: what, where, how, why? by Liz Bagshaw

Cryoconite holes are found on glaciers across the world. They host an ecosystem which is capable of withstanding extreme conditions and persisting in isolation for prolonged periods. Their biogeochemical characteristics are controlled by physical conditions, but these physical conditions make them challenging to investigate. This talk will review some of the technologies are group are working with to measure biogeochemical processes in these extreme environments, in Antarctica and Greenland. The results demonstrate that the microbial communities are diverse and resilient, and that the cryoconite hosts anaerobic niches with true anaerobic and facultatively anaerobic organisms. There are differences between Arctic and Antarctic communities, but biotic niches are filled in all locations. Representatives from cryoconite communities can be found in the fossil record, supporting the hypothesis that cryoconite was a refuge for life during Snowball Earth conditions.