microbialite

English
Microbialite formations poking out of the coast of Lake Van, Turkey
Microbialite towers at the bottom of Pavilion Lake, Canada.

Etymology

microbial +‎ -ite

Noun

microbialite (plural microbialites)

  1. (geology) A sedimentary or accretionary structure formed by the action of microbes.
    • 2003, Wayne M. Ahr, Permo-carboniferous Carbonate Platforms and Reefs:
      The encrusting micrite is interpreted as a form of microbial micrite; this is termed microbialite (Burne and Moore, 1987) and in this study refers exclusively to inferred microbial carbonates.
    • 2015 July 27, J. M. Mobberley et al., “Inner workings of thrombolites: spatial gradients of metabolic activity as revealed by metatranscriptome profiling”, in Scientific Reports‎, volume 5, DOI:10.1038/srep12601:
      These findings suggest that the molecular differences observed between the communities may be influencing the formation of the distinctive microfabrics of the microbialite deposits.
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