Microbial communities and their primary to early diagenetic mineral phases; the record from Neoproterozoic microbialites of Qarn Alam, Oman

Abstract

AbstractThe 10 m-scale shallowing-up Neoproterozoic carbonate cycles at Qarn Alam (Oman) provide a record of microbial textures and the communities responsible for them. This is documented for four major microbialite facies. Despite their age, these microbialites show extremely fine preservation of microbial fossils and mineral associations (primary calcite and dolomite with minor phosphate, glauconite, palygorskite, hematite and goethite) and they are the record of a suite of microbial communities, from pellicular biofilms (planar laminites) to mats and gels (crinkly laminites, and stromatolitic layered and massive thrombolites) and a more complex microbial community in bushy thrombolites possibly involving a sponge-like form. Mineralized extra-cellular polymeric substances (EPS) resembles that of modern microbial mats. The mineral associations, as well as cathodoluminescence attributes, indicate oxic to suboxic conditions during deposition and early diagenesis for planar laminites and crinkly laminites, but more evaporitic to saline conditions during development of thrombolites of the upper part of a cycle. Early cementation under variable redox conditions sealed the organomineralized phases.