Einstök vistkerfi Vonarskarðs - verkefnislok
Fréttatilkynning verkefnisstjóra
Interdisciplinary methods were applied to gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms at work in different types of microbial mats at the geothermal site of the Vonarskarð caldera.
Geochemical measurements, high-resolution DNA sequencing and electron microscopy provided the basis for thermodynamic and phylogenetic calculations and biostatistics, which in turn created a logical foundation for a deeper understanding of the chemical and biochemical drives of the individual components of the ecosystems studied.
Heiti verkefnis: Einstök vistkerfi Vonarskarðs / The unique ecosystems of Vonarskarð
Verkefnisstjóri: Sólveig K. Pétursdóttir, Matís ohf.
Tegund styrks: Verkefnisstyrkur
Styrkár: 2011-2013
Fjárhæð styrks: 20,007 millj. kr. alls
Tilvísunarnúmer Rannís: 11021702
The high groundwater level in the caldera appears to have an enormous impact on the geochemistry and microbiology of the ecosystems. Neutral steam heated water was characteristic for all three mat types, but different levels of oxidation and different temperatures resulted in different microbial species composition. The interdisciplinary approach has led to increased knowledge of the organic and inorganic processes at work which will have impact in related future projects. The project involved the education of students and training of scientists.
A list of the projects output (reports, journal articles or manuscripts).
1. Stefánsson, A., Keller, N.S., Björnsdóttir, S., Pétursdóttir, S.K., Jóhannesson, H., Fridleifsson, G.Ó., Hreggvidsson, G.Ó., Gunnarson Robin, J., Kaasalainen, H. 2015. The unique geology, geothermal and microbial activity of Vonarskard central volcano, Central Iceland. Geology. Manuscript submitted.
2. Andri Stefánsson, Nicole S. Keller, Jóhann Gunnarsson Robin, Hanna Kaaslainen, Snædís Björnsdóttir, Sólveig Pétursdóttir, Haukur Jóhannesson, Guðmundur Óli Hreggviðsson. 2015. Geothermal mixing, boiling, degassing, oxidation, water-rock interaction and reconstruction of geothermal reservoir fluid chemistry – an example of the Vonarskarð Geothermal System, Iceland. Geothermics. Manuscript submitted in April 2015. Open access.
3. Björnsdóttir, S., Pétursdóttir, S.K., Stefánsson, A., Keller, N.S., Jóhannesson, H., Pálsson, S., Hreggvidsson, G.Ó. The unique microbial mats in Vonarskarð. A presentation at the NordForsk Bioinformatics course at the University of Yväskyla, June 11th-15th 2012.
4. Björnsdóttir, S.H., Pétursdóttir, S.K., Stefánsson, A., Keller, N.S., Hreggviðsson, G.Ó. Hot spring microbial mats. Presentation at the FE-SEM workshop for Life Sciences, 17.-19. nóvember 2014, Umeå, Svíþjóð.
5. Kaasalainen, H., Stefánsson, A., Björnsdóttir, S., Hreggvidsson, G.Ó., Keller, N.S., Pétursdóttir, S.; What is for dinner? Geochemical energy from inorganic sources feeds microbial life in geothermal waters. Oral presentation at the spring meeting of the Geological Society of Iceland, March 2015, Reykjavik, Iceland.
6. Keller, N.S., Stefánsson, A., Snædís Björnsdóttir, S., Pétursdóttir, S.K., Jóhannesson, H., Fridleifsson, G.Ó., Guðmundur Óli Hreggviðsson, G. Ó., Kaasalainen, H. and Gunnarsson Robin, J.: The Vonarskarð geothermal system: an oasis in the desert. Oral presentation at the spring meeting of the Geological Society of Iceland, March 2015, Reykjavik, Iceland.
7. Keller, N.S., and members of the research groups of A. Stefánsson and S.R. Gíslason: Analysing time-sensitive water samples: A field geochemist‘s use of the IC technology. Oral presentation at the Thermo Scientific IC, ICP & ICP-MS seminar, April 2014, Reykjavik, Iceland.
8. Snædís H. Björnsdóttir, Sólveig K. Pétursdóttir, Andri Stefánsson, Nicole S. Keller, Guðmundur Óli Hreggviðsson. The microbial mats of Vonarskarð, Iceland. Presentation at SCANDEM2015 - Annual Conference of the Nordic Microscopy Society, 9.-11. júní 2015, Jyväskylä, Finland.
