Seismic shifts in the geochemical and microbial composition of a Yellowstone aquifer.

ABSTRACT: Seismic energy, like that released by earthquakes, can fracture rock and thereby alter subsurface fluid flow paths, release substrates from inclusions, and expose fresh mineral surfaces capable of reacting with water. However, it is unclear how such seismic-induced changes influence microbial communities. Volcanically active areas experience frequent seismic activity and thus represent ideal locations to examine the influence of seismic-induced geochemical change on subsurface microbial communities. Here, we demonstrate that energy released in an earthquake swarm in 2021 correlated with extensive temporal change in the geochemical and microbial composition of aquifer fluids sampled from ∼100 m depth in a borehole in Yellowstone National Park. Increased energy absorbed at the borehole over

SUBMITTER: Boyd ES 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12645456 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature