microbialite

English

Microbialite formations poking out of the coast of Lake Van, Turkey

Microbialite towers at the bottom of Pavilion Lake, Canada.

Etymology

From microbial +‎ -ite.

Noun

microbialite (plural microbialites)

1. (geology) A sedimentary or accretionary structure formed by the action of microbes.
   • 2003, Wayne M. Ahr, Permo-carboniferous Carbonate Platforms and Reefs:

     The encrusting micrite is interpreted as a form of microbial micrite; this is termed microbialite (Burne and Moore, 1987) and in this study refers exclusively to inferred microbial carbonates.

   • 2015 July 27, J. M. Mobberley et al., “Inner workings of thrombolites: spatial gradients of metabolic activity as revealed by metatranscriptome profiling”, in Scientific Reports‎^[1], volume 5, →DOI:

     These findings suggest that the molecular differences observed between the communities may be influencing the formation of the distinctive microfabrics of the microbialite deposits.