Highlights
- First report of massive Fe oxide biospeleothems in a Mexican lava tube
- Speleothems are composed of ferrihydrite, halloysite, goethite, and clays
- Microbial features and 16S data confirm Fe-oxidizer-mediated deposition
- Soil processes mobilize Fe, enabling microbial precipitation in lava tubes
- Petrography and geochemistry reveal multiphase, microbially driven genesis
Abstract
Iron is a common element in lava tube systems, typically observed as thin crusts or inferred from the reddish coloration of secondary mineral deposits. In this study, we describe iron oxide-hydroxide biospeleothems discovered in the Rancho Chico Lava Tube, located within the Xalapa Monogenetic Volcanic Field in Mexico. We adopt an integrative approach combining petrography, soil micromorphology, scanning electron microscopy, mineralogy, and 16S rRNA gene metabarcoding. DNA sequencing reveals the presence of microorganisms such as Acidithiobacillus, Gallionella, and members of the Leptospirillaceae family, which may be involved in the oxidation of Fe²⁺ within the lava tube. The source of iron appears to originate from the overlying soil, where pedogenic processes, including oxidation-reduction reactions, facilitate its mobilization.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806X.ijs2541
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Recommended Citation
López-Martínez, R., Solleiro-Rebolledo, E., Alcántara-Hernández, R.J., Pi Puig, T., Sedov, S., Fernández D.V., Luis-Vargas M.N., Lima Vera, Y., Sole, J., Espinasa Pereña, R., 2025. First insight on the genesis of iron oxide-hydroxide biospeleothems in Rancho Chico Lava Tube, Mexic. International Journal of Speleology, 54(2), ijs2541. https://doi.org/10.5038/1827-806X.ijs2541
Supplementary information
Lopez-Martinez etal.ris (1 kB)
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