Environmental Science and Engineering Seminar

The siliciclastic and carbonate rock record of all ages is populated by sedimentary structures that testify the presence of life, in particular the presence of microbial mats. However, the use of these structures as biological and environmental indicators is limited by the lack of understanding of the actual mechanisms that built them. Here, using novel laboratory experiments, I will discuss the formation of various microbially induced sedimentary structures and the consequences for their interpretation. This talk will span topics ranging from hydrodynamics, sediment transport, nutrient dynamics in the sediment subsurface and microbial growth.