Microbial Community Composition in Thermal Waters from the Lindian Geothermal Field (Songliao Basin, North-Eastern China)

Abstract

Geothermal systems represent discrete and relatively homogenous habitats for extremophiles; investigation into the microbial community is key to revealing the geochemical environment and the geochemical evolution of fluids in geothermal reservoirs. The reservoir of the Lindian geothermal field in Northeast China, is highly reducing and rich in methane, but the pathways of methane generation and the related microbial community structure are still unclear. In this research, five thermal water samples were collected and tested, and the microbial community structure and diversity were analyzed. The results show that in the sandstone reservoir belonging to the low-temperature (reservoir temperature < 90°C) brackish water (total dissolved solids concentration between 1000 and 10,000 mg/L) environment, the richness of the microbial community is relatively high. The microbial community structure is different from other geothermal systems reported but similar to that of oilfields, which may be related to the highly reducing geochemical environment with abundant organic matter. According to the analysis of archaeal function, the biogas production in the Lindian geothermal field is dominated by hydrogen nutrition type methane production, while the H2 reducing methylamine type methane production is secondary, and results of Pearson correlation show that the archaeal communities are more strongly correlated to physicochemical factors than the bacterial communities.

Isolation and Characterization of Thermophilic Bacteria from a Hot Spring in the State of Hidalgo, Mexico, and Geochemical Analysis of the Thermal Water

“…The physicochemical characterization of thermal water (Z2) is shown in Table 2 . It was detected that the major cation was Ca 2+ ; however, by far, the most abundant component was SO 4 2− , which was found in concentrations approaching the highest values found in the consulted reports [ 17 , 18 , 19 ]. The EC values reported by the laboratory were slightly different (by 127 µS/cm) from those measured in situ by the field multiparameter sensor.…”

“…Hot springs, for instance, represent one of Earth’s extreme environments [ 16 ], associated with regions of senile or inactive volcanic activity [ 17 ], where temperature can be attributed to geothermal energy, exothermic chemical reactions, or radioactive decay [ 18 ]. Thus, geothermal systems provide habitats for thermophiles, and their physiological and morphological diversity may be crucial to evolution in geothermal reservoirs, while water-rock interactions may be an important factor [ 19 ]. Physicochemical parameters, such as pH, temperature, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, ions, and heavy metals, can influence the quality of thermal water.…”

“…For instance, elevated temperatures lead to an increased interaction with surrounding rocks and minerals [ 18 ]; thus, the chemistry of spring water is linked to its geological background [ 20 ]. In turn, in thermal environments, microbial diversity can be influenced by temperature, pH, and the chemical composition of water [ 16 , 19 , 21 ].…”

Genetic Analysis of Geothermal Resources in Deep-Seated Fault Area in Tonghe County, Northeast China and Implications of Geothermal Exploration

“…As a comparison, the Changchun-Siping area, which is also on the YYF fault zone, is rich in geothermal resources detected by boreholes due to its shallow Curie depth and thin lithosphere thickness (Figure 9). Similarly, the Daqing area, which is also located on a basin without granite and deep-seated fault, is extremely rich in geothermal resources [50,51] due to its shallow Curie depth and thin lithosphere thickness. Other hot waters originating from natural hot springs and boreholes are also located in areas with shallow Curie depth and thin lithosphere thickness.…”

Influence of Geothermal Fumaroles in Driving the Microbial Community Dynamics and Functions of Adjacent Ecosystems

“…Fumarolic geothermal fields are known for their extreme conditions and unique characteristics that have a significant impact on the microbial diversity and community structure specific to these environments [1][2][3][4][5]. Despite the harsh conditions, these fields are home to extremophiles, including thermophiles, acidophiles, and alkaliphiles, which are welladapted to these extreme environments.…”