Hells Bells project - results of sampling campaign in February 2020

DOI

This data set compiles the results of water chemical analyses as well as bulk chemical analyses of the particles suspended in the water columns of cenotes (sinkholes) obtained during a sampling campaign in Mexico in February 2020. Three stratified cenotes from North-Eastern Yucatán Peninsula were investigated: El Zapote and Siete Bocas with Hells Bells underwater speleothems and cenote Angelita without these structures. The goal of the sampling and analyses was to obtain a high depth resolution of water data around the pelagic redoxclines of the cenotes for a better understanding of the biogeochemical processes and particle formation in these particular water layers, especially with regard to the biologically promoted precipitation of calcite (Ritter et al., 2019). This process is apparently involved in the formation of underwater speleothems termed as Hells Bells. The comparison of cenotes with Hells Bells (El Zapote and Siete Bocas) with a similar cenote without Hells Bells (Angelita) allows to identify the prerequisites for biologically promoted calcite precipitation and thus, Hells Bells formation. Furthermore, cenote Xcolac from the northern-central Yucatán Peninsula was investigated. Prior studies indicated that Hells Bells-like underwater speleothems might occur in cenote Xkolac (Ritter S.M., 2020). In order to verify, the cenote was explored and investigated in February 2020 by a team of divers and scientists. Below ~52 m water depth, the limestone walls actually revealed brownish calcitic coatings forming pine-cone like structures at overhangs (see video: Ritter et al., 2021). These novel underwater speleothems were termed as "Piñas de Yucatán". The hydrogeochemistry around the pelagic redoxcline indicates biologically-promoted calcite precipitation in the water depth level at which sulfide is re-oxidized to elemental sulfur. Based on this discovery, Hells Bells and Piñas de Yucatán might represent a novel sub-type of underwater speleothems, the redoxithems. This special kind of speleothems are formed by a common formation mechanism, which is the microbially promoted calcite precipitation in pelagic redoxclines of very stagnant aquatic systems.

Identifier
DOI https://doi.org/10.11588/data/GYLDH5
Related Identifier https://doi.org/10.5446/51785
Related Identifier https://doi.org/10.11588/heidok.00027813
Related Identifier https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2285-2019
Related Identifier https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2017.10.012
Related Identifier https://doi.org/10.5446/39353
Related Identifier https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.2002.47.6.1808
Metadata Access https://heidata.uni-heidelberg.de/oai?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=oai_datacite&identifier=doi:10.11588/data/GYLDH5
Provenance
Creator Ritter, Simon ORCID logo; Leberecht, Kerstin; Eschenröder, Julian; Scholz, Christian
Publisher heiDATA
Contributor Ritter, Simon; Isenbeck-Schröter, Margot; Avilés Olguín, Jerónimo; Stinnesbeck, Wolfgang; Sosa, Erick; Antón, Andrea; Cucchiara, Valentina; Loew, Christine; Penzel, Dirk
Publication Year 2021
Rights info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
OpenAccess true
Contact Ritter, Simon (Institute of Earth sciences, Heidelberg University, Germany)
Representation
Resource Type hydrogeochemical results; Dataset
Format application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet; image/png; application/pdf
Size 66876; 1104783; 5657214; 2195285
Version 2.0
Discipline Biogeochemistry; Biospheric Sciences; Chemistry; Earth and Environmental Science; Environmental Research; Geosciences; Natural Sciences
Spatial Coverage Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico