Genesis of large siliceous stromatolites at Frying Pan Lake, Waimangu geothermal field, North Island, New Zealand

Abstract

AbstractLilypad stromatolites, up to 3 m long and 1·5 m wide, were found to be actively growing in the shallow marginal waters of Frying Pan Lake and its outflow channel. These stromatolites, composed of Phormidium (> 90%), Fischerella, and a variety of other microbes, develop through a series of distinct growth stages. Dark green microbial mats cover the floor of the outflow channel and give rise to columns of various sizes and shapes in the shallower marginal waters. Once the columns reach the water level, the mats spread laterally to form a lilypad stromatolite. The lilypads are characterized by a raised, dark green rim, 4–5 mm high, that encircles a flat interior covered with a distinctive orange‐red mat. The microbes forming the columns and lilypad plate are being actively silicified. The stromatolites are formed of: (i) flat‐lying Phormidium filaments (P‐laminae), (ii) upright filaments of Phormidium that are commonly associated with Fischerella (U‐laminae), and (iii) mucus, diatoms and pyrite framboids (M‐laminae). P‐laminae dominate most of the columns, with tripartite cycles of P‐, U‐, to M‐laminae being found mostly in the upper parts of the stromatolites. The transition from the P‐ to U‐laminae is marked by a change in the growth pattern of the Phormidium and branching of Fischerella, which was probably triggered by a change in environmental conditions. In the Frying Pan Lake outflow channel, this change may be related to fluctuations in water level and flow rates that are caused by periods of heavy rain, seasonal changes, long‐term variations in rainfall, and/or the unique 40‐day hydrological cycle that exists between Frying Pan Lake and Inferno Crater, which is a nearby hydrothermal crater lake.