Characterization of the microbiomes from Salton Sea Trough mud volcanoes, seeps, and enrichment cultures: predominance of H2-autotrophy, H2-producing organotrophy, acetate cycling, and sulfur reduction
Year: 2023

The Salton Sea Trough has a range of geothermal features, including mud volcanoes, pots, and seeps that express fluids at temperatures ranging from ambient to 65 to 100 C. The features produce 99% CO2/0.5% CH4 gas of a thermogenic origin and contain hydrothermally-produced petroleum. The mud/clay from the Davis-Schrimpf mud volcanoes has an elemental sulfur (S0) concentration of 317 microM, suggesting that sulfur metabolism should be important in the system. Surprisingly, there has been very lit