Groundwater-Driven Evolution of Prebiotic Alkaline Lake Environments
Alkaline lakes are thought to have facilitated prebiotic synthesis reactions on the early Earth because their modern analogs accumulate vital chemical feedstocks such as phosphate through the evaporation of dilute groundwaters. Yet, the conditions required for some building block synthesis reactions...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-12-01
|
| Series: | Life |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/14/12/1624 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850241046093496320 |
|---|---|
| author | Benjamin M. Tutolo Robert Perrin Rachel Lauer Shane Bossaer Nicholas J. Tosca Alec Hutchings Serhat Sevgen Michael Nightingale Daniel Ilg Eric B. Mott Thomas Wilson |
| author_facet | Benjamin M. Tutolo Robert Perrin Rachel Lauer Shane Bossaer Nicholas J. Tosca Alec Hutchings Serhat Sevgen Michael Nightingale Daniel Ilg Eric B. Mott Thomas Wilson |
| author_sort | Benjamin M. Tutolo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Alkaline lakes are thought to have facilitated prebiotic synthesis reactions on the early Earth because their modern analogs accumulate vital chemical feedstocks such as phosphate through the evaporation of dilute groundwaters. Yet, the conditions required for some building block synthesis reactions are distinct from others, and these conditions are generally incompatible with those permissible for nascent cellular function. However, because current scenarios for prebiotic synthesis have not taken account of the physical processes that drive the chemical evolution of alkaline lakes, the potential for the co-occurrence of both prebiotic synthesis and the origins and early evolution of life in prebiotic alkaline lake environments remains poorly constrained. Here, we investigate the dynamics of active, prebiotically relevant alkaline lakes using near-surface geophysics, aqueous geochemistry, and hydrogeologic modeling. Due to their small size, representative range of chemistry, and contrasting evaporation behavior, the investigated, neighboring Last Chance and Goodenough Lakes in British Columbia, Canada offer a uniquely tractable environment for investigating the dynamics of alkaline lake behavior. The results show that the required, extreme phosphate enrichments in alkaline lake waters demand geomorphologically-driven vulnerability to evaporation, while the resultant contrast between evaporated brines and inflowing groundwaters yields Rayleigh–Taylor instabilities and vigorous surface–subsurface cycling and mixing of lake and groundwaters. These results provide a quantitative basis to reconcile conflicting prebiotic requirements of UV light, salinity, metal concentration, and pH in alkaline lake environments. The complex physical and chemical processing inherent to prebiotic alkaline lake environments thus may have not only facilitated prebiotic reaction networks, but also provided habitable environments for the earliest evolution of life. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cc2ec0eb8c5846a29c40c5429a0fc960 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2075-1729 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Life |
| spelling | doaj-art-cc2ec0eb8c5846a29c40c5429a0fc9602025-08-20T02:00:42ZengMDPI AGLife2075-17292024-12-011412162410.3390/life14121624Groundwater-Driven Evolution of Prebiotic Alkaline Lake EnvironmentsBenjamin M. Tutolo0Robert Perrin1Rachel Lauer2Shane Bossaer3Nicholas J. Tosca4Alec Hutchings5Serhat Sevgen6Michael Nightingale7Daniel Ilg8Eric B. Mott9Thomas Wilson10Department of Earth, Energy, and Environment, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, CanadaDepartment of Earth, Energy, and Environment, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, CanadaDepartment of Earth, Energy, and Environment, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, CanadaDepartment of Earth, Energy, and Environment, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, CanadaDepartment of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UKDepartment of Earth, Energy, and Environment, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, CanadaDepartment of Earth, Energy, and Environment, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, CanadaDepartment of Earth, Energy, and Environment, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, CanadaDepartment of Earth, Energy, and Environment, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, CanadaDepartment of Earth, Energy, and Environment, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, CanadaDepartment of Earth, Energy, and Environment, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, CanadaAlkaline lakes are thought to have facilitated prebiotic synthesis reactions on the early Earth because their modern analogs accumulate vital chemical feedstocks such as phosphate through the evaporation of dilute groundwaters. Yet, the conditions required for some building block synthesis reactions are distinct from others, and these conditions are generally incompatible with those permissible for nascent cellular function. However, because current scenarios for prebiotic synthesis have not taken account of the physical processes that drive the chemical evolution of alkaline lakes, the potential for the co-occurrence of both prebiotic synthesis and the origins and early evolution of life in prebiotic alkaline lake environments remains poorly constrained. Here, we investigate the dynamics of active, prebiotically relevant alkaline lakes using near-surface geophysics, aqueous geochemistry, and hydrogeologic modeling. Due to their small size, representative range of chemistry, and contrasting evaporation behavior, the investigated, neighboring Last Chance and Goodenough Lakes in British Columbia, Canada offer a uniquely tractable environment for investigating the dynamics of alkaline lake behavior. The results show that the required, extreme phosphate enrichments in alkaline lake waters demand geomorphologically-driven vulnerability to evaporation, while the resultant contrast between evaporated brines and inflowing groundwaters yields Rayleigh–Taylor instabilities and vigorous surface–subsurface cycling and mixing of lake and groundwaters. These results provide a quantitative basis to reconcile conflicting prebiotic requirements of UV light, salinity, metal concentration, and pH in alkaline lake environments. The complex physical and chemical processing inherent to prebiotic alkaline lake environments thus may have not only facilitated prebiotic reaction networks, but also provided habitable environments for the earliest evolution of life.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/14/12/1624alkaline lakesorigin of lifegroundwaterphosphorus |
| spellingShingle | Benjamin M. Tutolo Robert Perrin Rachel Lauer Shane Bossaer Nicholas J. Tosca Alec Hutchings Serhat Sevgen Michael Nightingale Daniel Ilg Eric B. Mott Thomas Wilson Groundwater-Driven Evolution of Prebiotic Alkaline Lake Environments Life alkaline lakes origin of life groundwater phosphorus |
| title | Groundwater-Driven Evolution of Prebiotic Alkaline Lake Environments |
| title_full | Groundwater-Driven Evolution of Prebiotic Alkaline Lake Environments |
| title_fullStr | Groundwater-Driven Evolution of Prebiotic Alkaline Lake Environments |
| title_full_unstemmed | Groundwater-Driven Evolution of Prebiotic Alkaline Lake Environments |
| title_short | Groundwater-Driven Evolution of Prebiotic Alkaline Lake Environments |
| title_sort | groundwater driven evolution of prebiotic alkaline lake environments |
| topic | alkaline lakes origin of life groundwater phosphorus |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1729/14/12/1624 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT benjaminmtutolo groundwaterdrivenevolutionofprebioticalkalinelakeenvironments AT robertperrin groundwaterdrivenevolutionofprebioticalkalinelakeenvironments AT rachellauer groundwaterdrivenevolutionofprebioticalkalinelakeenvironments AT shanebossaer groundwaterdrivenevolutionofprebioticalkalinelakeenvironments AT nicholasjtosca groundwaterdrivenevolutionofprebioticalkalinelakeenvironments AT alechutchings groundwaterdrivenevolutionofprebioticalkalinelakeenvironments AT serhatsevgen groundwaterdrivenevolutionofprebioticalkalinelakeenvironments AT michaelnightingale groundwaterdrivenevolutionofprebioticalkalinelakeenvironments AT danielilg groundwaterdrivenevolutionofprebioticalkalinelakeenvironments AT ericbmott groundwaterdrivenevolutionofprebioticalkalinelakeenvironments AT thomaswilson groundwaterdrivenevolutionofprebioticalkalinelakeenvironments |