Sulfur Cycling in the Terrestrial Subsurface: Commensal Interactions, Spatial Scales, and Microbial Heterogeneity

Microbiological, geochemical, and isotopic analyses of sediment and water samples from the un-consolidated Yegua formation in east-central Texas were used to assess microbial processes in the terrestrial subsurface. Previous geochemical studies suggested that sulfide oxidation at shallow depths may provide sulfate for sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in deeper aquifer formations. The present study further examines this possibility, and provides a more detailed evaluation of the relationship between microbial activity, lithology, and the geochemical environment on meter-to-millimeter scales. Sediment of varied lithology (sands, silts, clays, lignite) was collected from two boreholes, to depths of 30 m. Our findings suggest that pyrite oxidation strongly influences the geochemical environment in shallow sediments ( ~ 5 m), and produces acidic waters (pH 3.8) that are rich in sulfate (28 mM) and ferrous iron (0.3 mM). Sulfur and iron-oxidizing bacteria are readily detected in shallow sediments; they likely play an indirect role in pyrite oxidation. In consistent fashion, there is a relative paucity of pyrite in shallow sediments and a low 34S/32S-sulfate ratio (0.2‰) (reflecting contributions from 34S-depleted sulfides) in shallow regions. Pyrite oxidation likely provides a sulfate source for both oxic and anoxic aquifers in the region. A variety of assays and direct-imaging techniques of 35S-sulfide production in sediment cores indicates that sulfat