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Can subsurface microbial communities influence volatile cycling across subduction zones?

Sep 2, 2019, 13:15 Uhr
MARUM Research Seminar
MARUM I, room 2070

Donato Giovannelli

University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy

Subduction zones link shallow and deep biogeochemical processes, as fluids and volatiles are transferred between the two converging plates and the mantle. The resulting heterogeneous hydrothermal system associated with the subduction-related volcanisms offers a range of possible environments for life. Environmental microbes are often linked to the chemical processes they catalyze, however, few studies have determined how microbial distribution reflects deep subsurface processes on the scale of an entire subduction zone. Additionally, the possible role of subsurface microbial communities in influencing the volatile budget is not clear. Here, I will present our latest work and unpublished data regarding the role of subsurface microbial communities in modifying volatile cycling across subduction zones, and how deep plate processes can influence near-surface microbial life creating a complex system of feedback loops between the geosphere and biosphere.

Donato Giovannelli
Donato Giovannelli

Donato Giovannelli

  • Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
  • Affiliated Scientist, Institute for Marine Biological and Biotechnological Resources, National Research Council of Italy, Ancona, Italy
  • Affiliated Scientist, Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
  • Visiting Professor, Department of Marine and Coastal Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, USA