02147nas a2200205 4500008004100000245009900041210006900140260005900209300000800268490000900276520148500285653001501770653001601785653001401801653001801815653001701833100002201850700002101872856004801893 2024 eng d00aDevelopment of a laboratory simulation for freeze-thaw of aeolian sediments in glacial systems0 aDevelopment of a laboratory simulation for freezethaw of aeolian aBoulder, CO, USAbUniversity of Colorado Boulderc2024 a2610 vM.A.3 a

Glacial systems are vital for supplying trace metals, nutrients, and weathering products to downstream ecosystems. While subglacial and proglacial weathering pathways are highly studied, supraglacial weathering processes receive less attention. Aeolian sediments on glaciers can lower albedo, generating meltwater; this water can refreeze around sediment grains during cloudy periods or when the sun is obstructed, resulting in a freeze-thaw process. For solute generation in the most upstream source in glacial-proglacial environments, it's unclear whether chemical or physical weathering dominates nutrient release. This study presents a methodology to simulate freeze-thaw processes in a controlled laboratory setting to understand the importance of freeze-thaw in nutrient mobilization. Analysis of sediments from Antarctica's McMurdo Dry Valleys showed significant differences in the concentrations of ion, nutrient, and trace metal between initial wetting and subsequent freeze-thaw cycles. For example, phosphorus concentrations consistently increased with each cycle, indicating that freeze-thaw is an important mobilization mechanism for this nutrient. Silicon increased from cycle 1-30 but decreased at cycle 60 and iron concentrations were initially higher but decreased during subsequent cycles. This research highlights the importance of freeze-thaw processes in understanding glacial weathering dynamics and nutrient release for downstream ecosystems.

10aAntarctica10afreeze-thaw10anutrients10aTaylor Valley10atrace metals1 aMondragon, Denise1 aDiaz, Melisa, A. uhttps://www.proquest.com/docview/306679220202367nas a2200289 4500008004100000245011400041210006900155260001200224300001400236490000600250520147700256653001501733653002201748653002201770653001001792100002601802700002401828700002701852700002101879700001801900700001701918700002001935700001701955700001701972700002401989856006402013 2022 eng d00aElevational constraints on the composition and genomic attributes of microbial communities in Antarctic soils0 aElevational constraints on the composition and genomic attribute c01/2022 ae01330-210 v73 a

The inland soils found on the Antarctic continent represent one of the more challenging environments for microbial life on Earth. Nevertheless, Antarctic soils harbor unique bacterial and archaeal (prokaryotic) communities able to cope with extremely cold and dry conditions. These communities are not homogeneous, and the taxonomic composition and functional capabilities (genomic attributes) of these communities across environmental gradients remain largely undetermined. We analyzed the prokaryotic communities in soil samples collected from across the Shackleton Glacier region of Antarctica by coupling quantitative PCR, marker gene amplicon sequencing, and shotgun metagenomic sequencing. We found that elevation was the dominant factor explaining differences in the structures of the soil prokaryotic communities, with the drier and saltier soils found at higher elevations harboring less diverse communities and unique assemblages of cooccurring taxa. The higher-elevation soil communities also had lower maximum potential growth rates (as inferred from metagenome-based estimates of codon usage bias) and an overrepresentation of genes associated with trace gas metabolism. Together, these results highlight the utility of assessing community shifts across pronounced environmental gradients to improve our understanding of the microbial diversity found in Antarctic soils and the strategies used by soil microbes to persist at the limits of habitability.

10aAntarctica10amicrobial ecology10asoil microbiology10asoils1 aDragone, Nicholas, B.1 aHenley, Jessica, B.1 aHolland-Moritz, Hannah1 aDiaz, Melisa, A.1 aHogg, Ian, D.1 aLyons, Berry1 aWall, Diana, H.1 aAdams, Byron1 aFierer, Noah1 aMackelprang, Rachel uhttps://journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.1128/msystems.01330-2102506nas a2200289 4500008004100000022001400041245006300055210006300118260001200181490000800193520169900201653001501900653001701915653001301932653001801945653001001963653001001973100002601983700002102009700001802030700001702048700002002065700002002085700002102105700001702126856007302143 2021 eng d a2169-895300aExploring the boundaries of microbial habitability in soil0 aExploring the boundaries of microbial habitability in soil c06/20210 v1263 a

Microbes are widely assumed to be capable of colonizing even the most challenging terrestrial surface environments on Earth given enough time. We would not expect to find surface soils uninhabited by microbes as soils typically harbor diverse microbial communities and viable microbes have been detected in soils exposed to even the most inhospitable conditions. However, if uninhabited soils do exist, we might expect to find them in Antarctica. We analyzed 204 ice-free soils collected from across a remote valley in the Transantarctic Mountains (84–85°S, 174–177°W) and were able to identify a potential limit of microbial habitability. While most of the soils we tested contained diverse microbial communities, with fungi being particularly ubiquitous, microbes could not be detected in many of the driest, higher elevation soils—results that were confirmed using cultivation-dependent, cultivation-independent, and metabolic assays. While we cannot confirm that this subset of soils is completely sterile and devoid of microbial life, our results suggest that microbial life is severely restricted in the coldest, driest, and saltiest Antarctic soils. Constant exposure to these conditions for thousands of years has limited microbial communities so that their presence and activity is below detectable limits using a variety of standard methods. Such soils are unlikely to be unique to the studied region with this work supporting previous hypotheses that microbial habitability is constrained by near-continuous exposure to cold, dry, and salty conditions, establishing the environmental conditions that limit microbial life in terrestrial surface soils.

10aAntarctica10aastrobiology10abacteria10aextremophiles10afungi10asoils1 aDragone, Nicholas, B.1 aDiaz, Melisa, A.1 aHogg, Ian, D.1 aLyons, Berry1 aJackson, Andrew1 aWall, Diana, H.1 aAdams, Byron, J.1 aFierer, Noah uhttps://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2020JG00605202540nas a2200289 4500008004100000245012600041210006900167260001200236490000800248520163000256653002101886653001501907653001701922653001501939653002401954653001901978100002101997700002102018700001902039700002402058700001902082700001702101700002402118700001902142700001702161856007202178 2020 eng d00aGeochemistry of aeolian material from the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica: Insights into Southern Hemisphere dust sources0 aGeochemistry of aeolian material from the McMurdo Dry Valleys An c10/20200 v5473 a

In the Southern Hemisphere, the major sources of dust and other aeolian materials are from Patagonia, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Dust from Patagonia and New Zealand has been identified in ice cores throughout Antarctica, suggesting that during arid and windy periods, such as glacial periods, dust can be entrained and transported onto the continent. However, little information exists on modern Antarctic dust sources, transport, and its role in the Southern Hemisphere dust cycle. We present the first geochemical characterization of aeolian materials collected at five heights (between 5 cm and 100 cm) above the surface in four valleys within the McMurdo Dry Valleys, the largest ice-free area in Antarctica. Our mineralogy data indicate that these materials are primarily derived from local rocks of the McMurdo Volcanics, Ferrar Dolerite, Beacon Sandstone and Granite Harbor Intrusives, with varying contributions of each rock type dependent on the valley location. While major oxide, trace element and rare earth element data show that low elevation and coastal locations (with respect to the Ross Sea) are dominated by local sources, high elevation and inland locations have accumulated both local materials and dust from other distant Southern Hemisphere sources. This far-traveled material may not be accumulating today, but represents a paleo source that is resuspended from the soils. By geochemically “fingerprinting” aeolian materials from the MDV, we can better inform future studies on the transport of materials within Antarctica and between Southern Hemisphere land masses.

10aaeolian material10aAntarctica10amajor oxides10amineralogy10arare earth elements10atrace elements1 aDiaz, Melisa, A.1 aWelch, Susan, A.1 aSheets, J., M.1 aWelch, Kathleen, A.1 aKhan, Alia, L.1 aAdams, Byron1 aMcKnight, Diane, M.1 aCary, Craig, S1 aLyons, Berry uhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012821X20304040