Abstract
Microbialite Formation in Seawater of Increased Alkalinity, Satonda Crater Lake, Indonesia: Reply
Highlights
Our paper (Arp et al 2003) revises previous studies of Kazmierczak and Kempe (1990, 1992), Kempe and Kazmierczak (1990a, 1990b, 1993), and Kempe et al (1996, 1997) on Lake Satonda reefs with regard to biofilm calcification and microbialite formation
We have shown by model calculation and occurrences of calcified cyanobacteria that cyanobacterial photosynthesis can induce CaCO3 precipitation to form distinct cyanobacterial microfossils only in settings of low dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) / high Ca2ϩ (Arp et al 2001)
Note the high Mg concentration in the calcitic compared to the aragonitic layer.’’ B) From Kempe and Kazmierczak (1993), who state ‘‘SEM view of cross-fractured and EDTA-etched fragment of the Satonda Crater Lake fossil calcareous stromatolite [. . .], showing the contact between the in vivo with high Mg calcite permineralized coccoid cyanobacterial layer and the post mortem with aragonite permineralized layer of decomposed coccoid cyanobacteria.’’ Scale bar is 3 m
Summary
Our paper (Arp et al 2003) revises previous studies of Kazmierczak and Kempe (1990, 1992), Kempe and Kazmierczak (1990a, 1990b, 1993), and Kempe et al (1996, 1997) on Lake Satonda reefs with regard to biofilm calcification and microbialite formation. We confirm that the transfer of bottom waters of increased alkalinity (due to sulfate reduction) to shallow water layers (mixolimnion) principally can support or cause biofilm calcification and microbialite formation in shallow waters (as suggested by Kempe 1990) Their two-stage model of microbialite formation in Lake Satonda, which claims that superficial in vivo permineralization of coccoid cyanobacterial colonies by high-Mg calcite is followed by internal fibrous aragonite growth due to anaerobic decay of the entombed colonies to form microstromatolites (Kazmierczak and Kempe 1990) as well as Wetheredella-like structures (Kazmierczak and Kempe 1992) is a theoretical construct without supporting evidence from data and observations from Satonda crater lake.
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