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Life in Ancient Cooling Lava

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Abstract

The study of volcanogenic and volcanogenic–sedimentary rocks (Early Proterozoic pillow lava of Karelia and South Africa), where diverse fossilized bacteria (prokaryotes) and probably even eukaryotes shows that, during this early period, conditions of cooling lava flows and igneous rocks were favorable for bacterial development and colonization.

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  1. As magmatic melt reaches the earth’s surface, a magmatic eruption occurs, the character of which is determined by the composition of melt, its temperature and pressure, concentration of volatile components and other parameters. In case of terrestrial eruptions of huge volumes of basaltic lava within a geologically short time, lava formations with a flat surface and typical stepped relief, which were called plateau basalts or trapps (from the Swedish word trappa meaning “stairs”), cover vast areas. Submarine and subglacial eruptions (usually at a low eruption rate) lead to the formation of pillow lavas, which are likely the most widespread type of consolidated lavas on the Earth (Moore, 1975; Walker, 1992; Sigurdsson, 1999).

  2. Recent basalts are basaltic lava with solidified crust of volcanic glass, formed due to rapid cooling of liquid lava at the boundary with marine water. With time, glass becomes devitrified and, as a result of submarine weathering (halmyrolysis), it, along with minerals in basalts, is gradually replaced by secondary minerals, i.e., loses glass properties.

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  1. Borissiak Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117647, Moscow, Russia

    M. M. Astafieva

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Astafieva, M.M. Life in Ancient Cooling Lava. Paleontol. J. 52, 1131–1147 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0031030118100052

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