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Macrofaunal burrowing enhances deep-sea carbonate lithification on the Southwest Indian Ridge

Abstract. Deep-sea carbonates represent an important type of sedimentary
rock due to their effect on the composition of the upper oceanic crust and
their contribution to deep-sea geochemical cycles. However, the role of
deep-sea macrofauna in carbonate lithification remains poorly understood. A
large lithified carbonate area, characterized by thriving benthic faunas and
a tremendous amount of burrows, was discovered in 2008, blanketing the
seafloor of the ultraslowly spreading Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR). Benthic
inhabitants – including echinoids, polychaetes, gastropods and crustaceans –
are abundant in this carbonate lithified area. The burrowing features within
these carbonate rocks, as well as the factors that may influence deep-sea carbonate
lithification, were examined. We suggest that burrowing in these carbonate
rocks enhances deep-sea carbonate lithification. We propose that active
bioturbation may trigger the dissolution of the original calcite and thus
accelerate deep-sea carbonate lithification on mid-ocean ridges. Macrofaunal
burrowing provides a novel driving force for deep-sea carbonate lithification
at the seafloor, illuminating the geological and biological importance of
bioturbation in global deep-sea carbonate rocks.
