@article{65e9eeaeef204fc6a80a72db76c850ef,
title = "A coupled microscopy approach to assess the nano-landscape of weathering",
abstract = "Mineral weathering is a balanced interplay among physical, chemical, and biological processes. Fundamental knowledge gaps exist in characterizing the biogeochemical mechanisms that transform microbe-mineral interfaces at submicron scales, particularly in complex field systems. Our objective was to develop methods targeting the nanoscale by using high-resolution microscopy to assess biological and geochemical drivers of weathering in natural settings. Basalt, granite, and quartz (53–250 µm) were deployed in surface soils (10 cm) of three ecosystems (semiarid, subhumid, humid) for one year. We successfully developed a reference grid method to analyze individual grains using: (1) helium ion microscopy to capture micron to sub-nanometer imagery of mineral-organic interactions; and (2) scanning electron microscopy to quantify elemental distribution on the same surfaces via element mapping and point analyses. We detected locations of biomechanical weathering, secondary mineral precipitation, biofilm formation, and grain coatings across the three contrasting climates. To our knowledge, this is the first time these coupled microscopy techniques were applied in the earth and ecosystem sciences to assess microbe-mineral interfaces and in situ biological contributors to incipient weathering.",
author = "Lybrand, {Rebecca A.} and Austin, {Jason C.} and Jennifer Fedenko and Gallery, {Rachel E.} and Erin Rooney and Schroeder, {Paul A.} and Zaharescu, {Dragos G.} and Odeta Qafoku",
note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by Oregon State University faculty startup fund to R.A.L. The research was performed using EMSL, a DOE Office of Science User Facility sponsored by the Office of Biological and Environmental Research. This work was partially supported by NSF grants EAR-GEO-1331846 to P.A.S.; NSF EAR-0724958 and NSF IOS-1354219 to R.E.G. The granular basalt and granite used in our study was produced during an earlier project funded by EAR-1023215 that was awarded to Katerina Dontsova, Jon D. Chorover, Travis E. Huxman, and Raina M. Maier to whom we are very grateful. The CZO SAVI program also provided a valuable training opportunity with members of the Mineral Weathering Consortium, and the authors specifically thank Steven Banwart, Jonathan Leake, Liane Benning, and Joe Quirk for advice on the in-soil mesh bag approach. The authors also thank Shutthanandan Vaithiyalingam, Bruce W. Arey, Andrew Martinez, Erica Flores, Stephan Hlohowskyj, Katarena Matos, Julia Perdrial, Nate Abramson, Jake Kelly, Vanessa Yubeta, Lauren Guthridge, Mathew Clark, James Olmid, Guillermo Molano, Andrew Toriello, Arturo Jacobo, Carmen Burghelea, Ed Hunt, Jennifer Presler, Viktor Polyakov, and Kenneth Kanipe for laboratory and field support. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019, The Author(s).",
year = "2019",
month = dec,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1038/s41598-019-41357-0",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "9",
journal = "Scientific Reports",
issn = "2045-2322",
publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",
number = "1",
}