Role of bacterial mats in oxygen-deficient marine basins and coastal upwelling regimes; preliminary report

Living mats in shallow waters are dominated by photosynthetic cyanobacteria; in deeper waters the mats are dominated by nonphotosynthetic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. Fossilized remains of analogous mat structures from the Miocene Monterey Formation are commonly associated with oil-producing and phosp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geology (Boulder) 1983-01, Vol.11 (5), p.267-269
Main Authors: Williams, Loretta Ann, Reimers, Clare
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
algae
algal mats
algal structures
anaerobic environment
Bacteria
biogenic structures
California
Cenozoic
coastal environment
Cyanobacteria
Cyanophyta
ecology
environment
genesis
Holocene
hydrocarbons
Marine
marine environment
microfossils
Miocene
modern
Monterey Formation
Neogene
ocean circulation
organic compounds
organic materials
paleoecology
petroleum
phosphates
Plantae
Quaternary
sed rocks, sediments
Sedimentary petrology
sedimentary rocks
sedimentary structures
sedimentation
SEM data
source rocks
Tertiary
thallophytes
thermal alteration
United States
upwelling
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Living mats in shallow waters are dominated by photosynthetic cyanobacteria; in deeper waters the mats are dominated by nonphotosynthetic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. Fossilized remains of analogous mat structures from the Miocene Monterey Formation are commonly associated with oil-producing and phosphate-rich zones. Bacterial mats may be a source of the organic matter that in time is thermally altered to hydrocarbons.—Modified journal abstract.
ISSN:0091-7613
1943-2682
DOI:10.1130/0091-7613(1983)11<267:ROBMIO>2.0.CO;2