Morphologically simple and microbially dominated ecosystems termed “biofilms” have existed on Earth for a long period of biosphere evolution. A model biofilm combining one heterotroph and one phototroph component was used in a laboratory experiment to simulate biogenic weathering with two different specimens of basic rock samples from the soil profiles. The rocks fragments from the regions of cold environments of Eurasia, where abiotic physical processes, including rock disintegration initiated by freezing–thawing cycles, represent the most probable scenario of rock weathering, were subjected to biological colonization. The rock fragments were represented by dolerite and metagabbro amphibolites. Polished sections of the rock samples were inoculated with the model microbiological consortium of the oligotrophic fungus and the phototrophic cyanobacteria (biofilm). After 3 month runtime of the experiment the progress of rock weathering was derived from the growth of the biofilm on the rock surfaces. The model biofilm visualization on the rock surface of polished sections illustrated their stronger development namely on dolerite in comparison with metagabbro amphibolite. The findings confirmed the higher sensitivity of dolerite to biogenic weathering due to (i) mineral association, in which quartz was absent and (ii) porosity providing higher specific surface area for biotic—abiotic interaction influenced by the occurrence of micro-porosity in the rock.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationLecture Notes in Earth System Sciences
PublisherSpringer Nature
Pages501-515
Number of pages15
DOIs
StatePublished - 2020

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Earth System Sciences
ISSN (Print)2193-8571
ISSN (Electronic)2193-858X

    Scopus subject areas

  • Computers in Earth Sciences
  • Earth and Planetary Sciences(all)

    Research areas

  • Biofilm formation, Biogenic weathering, Fractal structure, Internal pores, Rock leaching

ID: 75027575