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Dolomite nucleation and subsequent crystallization are kinetically-controlled processes. Modern dolomite-forming environments provide clues to the trigger factors that facilitate dolomite formation under Earth surface conditions. It has been documented that certain types of benthic microorganisms promoted the precipitation of protodolomite from sediment pore waters. As protodolomite is thought to be a possible precursor of sedimentary ordered dolomite, microbial mediation has thus been suggested as one interpretation of the occurrence of dolomite in modern sediments. To date, however, it is still unclear whether planktonic microorganisms could directly initiate protodolomite crystallization in the upper water column of present dolomite depositing environments. In this study, we report on the occurrence of authigenic protodolomite in the upmost sediments of a high-sulfate, Chinese inland saline lake (Lake …