Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.3390/w12123512
Licence creative commons licence
Title (Primary) Dissolved organic matter in continental hydro-geothermal systems: Insights from two hot springs of the East African Rift Valley
Author Butturini, A.; Amalfitano, S.; Herzsprung, P.; Lechtenfeld, O.J. ORCID logo ; Venturi, S.; Olaka, L.A.; Pacini, N.; Harper, D.M.; Tassi, F.; Fazi, S.
Source Titel Water
Year 2020
Department SEEFO; ANA
Volume 12
Issue 12
Page From art. 3512
Language englisch
Supplements https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/12/3512/s1
Keywords DOM; FT-ICR-MS; hot springs; East African Rift Valley; Kenya
UFZ wide themes ProVIS;
Abstract Little is known about the quantity and quality of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in waters from continental geothermal systems, with only a few reports available from the Yellowstone US National Park. In this study, we explored the chemodiversity of DOM in water samples collected from two geothermal hot springs from the Kenyan East African Rift Valley, a region extremely rich in fumaroles, geysers, and spouting springs, located in close proximity to volcanic lakes. The DOM characterization included in-depth assessments performed by negative electrospray ionization Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS). Reduced, saturated and little aromatic DOM compounds were dominant in the hot spring waters collected from either the Ol Njorowa gorge (ON) or the south shore of the soda-saline Lake Elementaita (ELM). Oxygen-poor and sulfur-bearing DOM molecules prevailed in ON, probably reflecting abiotic sulfurization from sulfide-rich geofluids. Nitrogen-bearing aliphatic and protein-like molecules were abundant in ELM, possibly perfusing through the organic-rich sediments of the adjacent Lake Elementaita. Notably, the heat-altered DOM of ancient autochthonous derivation could represent an overlooked source of aliphatic organic carbon for connected lentic environments, with a potential direct impact on nutrient cycling in lakes that receive geothermal water inputs.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=24021
Butturini, A., Amalfitano, S., Herzsprung, P., Lechtenfeld, O.J., Venturi, S., Olaka, L.A., Pacini, N., Harper, D.M., Tassi, F., Fazi, S. (2020):
Dissolved organic matter in continental hydro-geothermal systems: Insights from two hot springs of the East African Rift Valley
Water 12 (12), art. 3512 10.3390/w12123512