Sulphidic aquifer of South Dobrogea - Romania

Basic Information
Site Name
Sulphidic aquifer of South Dobrogea
Short name
Movileaquif
Country
Romania
Site Description
The Sulphidic aquifer of South Dobrogea offers Mars-analogue sites in the form of isolated subsurface habitats characterised by the presence of toxic compounds (H2S, CH4, NH4+) dissolved in suphidic water and an entire ecosystem based on chemosynthesis that has been isolated for over 5.5 million years (since the Messinian Crisis when organisms retreated underground to find shelter and humidity as well as a sustainable source of nutrients provided by the microbial biofilms thriving on the chemicals dissolved). The various physical-chemical features of microniches of this ecosystem (darkness, lack of O2, increased levels of H2S and CH4 – in Movile Cave; strong light, high temperature (up to 40°C in summer) and O2 – in the terrestrial sulphidic springs; dim light, increased concentration of salts, variable temperature – in the case of submarine springs) are mirrored by different structures of the microbial communities providing insights on the origin of such ecosystems and a better understanding of how an isolated subsurface ecosystem evolves and adapts to such conditions. The aquifer has numerous resurgences in the form of terrestrial and underwater (on the bottom of the sea) sulphidic springs.
Last modified
2024-07-16 08:07:51

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General Characteristics and Status
Site Status
Operational
Year Established
1990
Photos
GoogleEarth image of aquifer
GoogleEarth image of aquifer
Shallow undersea sulphidic spring
Shallow undersea sulphidic spring
Deep undersea sulphidic spring
Deep undersea sulphidic spring
Microbial biofilm in sulphidic terrestrial spring
Microbial biofilm in sulphidic terrestrial spring
Deep undersea sulphidic springs
Deep undersea sulphidic springs
Movile cave_gallery
Movile cave_gallery
Movile cave_Lake Room
Movile cave_Lake Room
Movile cave_Microbial biofilm in AirBell II
Movile cave_Microbial biofilm in AirBell II
Movile cave_AirBell I
Movile cave_AirBell I
Geographic
Centroid/Representative Coordinates

Latitude: 43.826457 Longitude: 28.558434

Size
ca. 5000.00ha
Elevation (average)
7.00msl
Elevation (min)
-15.00msl
Elevation (max)
15.00msl
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Site information [.json]

Centroid/representative coordinates [.shp] [.kml]
Bounding Box [.shp] [.kml]
Boundaries [.shp] [.kml]