Magnetic susceptibility as a biosignature in stromatolites

Microbialites have long been a focus of study in geobiology because they are macroscopic sedimentary records of the activities of microscopic organisms. However, abiotic processes can result in microbialite-like morphologies. Developing robust tools for substantiating the biogenicity of putative microbialites remains an important challenge. Here, we report a new potential biosignature based on the detrital magnetic mineral component present in nearly all sedimentary rocks. Detrital grains falling onto a hard, abiogenic, chemically precipitated structure would be expected to roll off surfaces at high incline angles. Thus, the distribution of grains in an abiogenic microbialite should exhibit a dependence on the dip angle along laminae. In contrast, a microbialite formed by the active trapping and binding of detrital grains by microorganisms could exhibit a distribution of detrital grains significantly less dependent on the dip angle of the laminae. However, given that most ancient stromatolites are micritic (composed of carbonate mud), tracking detrital grains vs. precipitated carbonate is not straightforward. Recent advances in our ability to measure miniscule magnetic fields open up the possibility to map magnetic susceptibility as a tracer of detrital grains in stromatolites. In abiogenic carbonate precipitation experiments, magnetic susceptibility fell to zero when the growth surface was inclined above 30° (the angle at which grains rolled off). In cyanobacterial mat experiments, even vertically inclined mats held magnetic material. The results indicate that cyanobacterial mats trap and bind small grains more readily than abiogenic carbonate precipitates alone. A variety of stromatolites of known and unknown biogenicity were then analyzed. Tested stromatolites span many different ages (Eocene to Holocene) and depositional environments (hot springs, lakes), and compositional forms (micritic, sparry crusts, etc.). The results were consistent with the laboratory results. The results of these experiments suggest that magnetic susceptibility shows promise as a new biosignature in the study of putative microbialites.