Seasonal biogeochemical variations in a modern microbialite reef under early Earth-like conditions

Abstract

Microbialites are organosedimentary structures dating to the Precambrian that serve as archives of Earths environmental evolution. Today, they persist in only a few environments markedly different from those in which they first arose. Here, we report a modern microbialite reef in Laguna Pozo Bravo (Puna region, Argentina), exposed to high radiation, low oxygen pressure, and volcanic inputs reminiscent of early Earth. Through physicochemical, mineralogical, spectroscopic, electron microscopy, and metagenomic analyses, we identified diverse microbial communities with metabolic capacities that induce mineralisation. Seasonal environmental fluctuations drive cyclical changes in community composition, producing potential mineralisation patterns. Our findings suggest that carbon fixation and the metabolic drivers of alkalinity in microbialites evolved over time. Moreover, the variability in prokaryotic compositions among modern microbialites demonstrates that carbonate precipitation is governed by metabolic potential rather than taxonomy, reinforcing their role as dynamic records of environmental conditions.