Microbial Pinnacle Spatial Patterns in Antarctic Lake Vanda

Lake Vanda's microbial pinnacles provide a unique record of ecosystem response to climate change, with spatial data from 37 lake floor sites collected in 2013 and 2023. The dataset, managed by AMD_USAPDC via NASA EarthData, captures morphological patterns across environmental gradients like sedimentation and nutrients. It enables analysis of pattern development over a decade and across substrates aged from 1 to over 70 years.

Use Cases

• Analyze pinnacle morphology and spatial distribution patterns across 37 sampling sites to identify environmental drivers.
• Model relationships between spatial patterns and environmental gradients like sedimentation, nutrients, and irradiance.
• Compare pinnacle geometry and distribution data from 2013 and 2023 to assess decadal responses to environmental change.
• Investigate pattern development mechanisms by comparing data from newly flooded substrates (1-15 years old) with established mats (>70 years old).
• Apply spatial ecology theories to microbial community data to refine interpretations of climate change effects and ancient fossil communities.

Strengths

• Data spans a 9-year temporal comparison (Dec 2013 and Jan 2023), enabling direct assessment of change.
• Spatial coverage includes 37 distinct sites on the lake floor, capturing pattern variation across environmental gradients.
• Features a natural experiment comparing microbial communities across a >10 meter lake level rise over recent decades.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, column details, and sample sizes for the 37 sites are not provided.
• Geographic scope is limited to a single Antarctic lake (Lake Vanda), reducing generalizability.
• Data collection methods and potential measurement inconsistencies across the 9-year gap are not detailed.

Provenance

Source

NASA EarthData (nasa_earthdata), organization AMD_USAPDC.

Collection Method

Field observations and spatial data collection from benthic communities at 37 sites on the floor of Lake Vanda.

Time Range

Primary data collection in December 2013 and January 2023.

Freshness

Data collection referenced up to January 2023; metadata indicates a platform last updated date of 2027-02-28.

Geography

Lake Vanda in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica.