Definition
The formation of clay minerals in situ through the direct or indirect action of bacteria.
Overview
Clays are one of the largest and most diverse assemblage of minerals known. The vast majority of clay minerals are aluminum silicate in composition, with various other cations substituted into the crystal lattice. The replacement of either Si or Al can lead to an excess of negative charge, which is either neutralized by the adsorption of additional cations onto the outer mineral surfaces or within the interlayer spaces.
Within the past 2 decades, field studies have led to the general recognition that bacteria can mediate the formation of clay minerals. Some clays form as replacement products from the alteration of primary minerals. In this regard, the bacterial community growing on the rock surface potentially function initially as the weathering agents (through the production of organic acids or ligands that facilitate mineral dissolution) and later as reactive surfaces for...
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Konhauser, K.O. (2011). Clay Authigenesis, Bacterial. In: Reitner, J., Thiel, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geobiology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9212-1_17
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9212-1_17
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