Evidence of microbial activity in the formation of manganese wads at the Asahidake hot spring in Hokkaido, Japan

Abstract

Mt. Asahidake is an active volcano, with more than 90 active wells, in the Daisetsu volcanic group located in central Hokkaido, Japan. Wells along the Yukomanbetsu-sawa River showed high manganese concentrations and associated manganese deposits. These deposits consist of manganese oxides, and the concentration of iron is very low except for one sample collected from the upper reach of the river. Most of the wet samples showed basal diffraction characteristic of todorokite (9.6 Å). Cultivation tests showed that microorganisms were responsible for the oxidation of dissolved Mn2+ in the Asahidake hot spring. The dissolved Mn2+ concentration in the sterilized hot spring water was unchanged after four days, whereas the Mn2+ concentration in the sterilized hot spring water with a small amount of fresh manganese wad was decreased to zero after three days, and manganese oxide formed. This result implies that the activity of microorganism oxidizes dissolved Mn2+ and forms manganese oxide at the Asahidake manganese deposits. In addition to Komanoyu hot spring and Yunotaki Falls, this is the third report of microbial activity forming considerable deposits of manganese oxides in hot spring waters.