ISSN:
1573-5117
Keywords:
Water chemistry
;
anaerobic deep layer
;
planktonic green sulphur bacteria
;
microbial mats
;
paleochannels
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
Notes:
Abstract La Salada de Chiprana Lake, located in the Ebro River basin, northeastern Spain, is the only permanent and deep water hypersaline ecosystem in all of western Europe. With a total surface of 31 ha and a maximum depth of 5.6 m, it has several basins bounded by elongated sandstone-bodies or ribbons which are paleochannels of Miocene age. Its salinity varied from 30 to 73 g 1−1 during the 1989 hydrological cycle and the most abundant ions were magnesium and sulphate. Depth-time distributions of major physico-chemical variables demonstrated that the lake was stratified in two distinctive layers during most of the year. The chemocline disappeared only in October, with the complete overturn of the water column. In the deep water, three conditions occurred which allowed development of green sulphur bacteria populations: (1) oxygen depletion, (2) presence of hydrogen sulphide and (3) presence of light. Benthic microbial mats covered the sediments of shallow shores of moderate slope.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00018794
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