Hydrocarbons in hydrothermal vent fluids: the role of chromium-bearing catalysts |
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Authors: | Foustoukos Dionysis I Seyfried William E |
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Institution: | Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. fous0009@umn.edu |
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Abstract: | Fischer-Tropsch type (FTT) synthesis has long been proposed to account for the existence of hydrocarbons in hydrothermal fluids. We show that iron- and chromium-bearing minerals catalyze the abiotic formation of hydrocarbons. In addition to production of methane (CH4aq), we report abiotic generation of ethane (C2H6aq) and propane (C3H8aq) by mineral-catalyzed hydrothermal reactions at 390 degrees C and 400 bars. Results suggest that the chromium component in ultramafic rocks could be an important factor for FTT synthesis during water-rock interaction in mid-ocean ridge hydrothermal systems. This in turn could help to support microbial communities now recognized in the subsurface at deep-sea vents. |
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