TY - JOUR
T1 - Hydrocarbons in Hydrothermal Vent Fluids
T2 - The Role of Chromium-Bearing Catalysts
AU - Foustoukos, Dionysis I.
AU - Seyfried, William E.
PY - 2004/5/14
Y1 - 2004/5/14
N2 - 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 (C 3H8aq) by mineral-catalyzed hydrothermal reactions at 390°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.
AB - 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 (C 3H8aq) by mineral-catalyzed hydrothermal reactions at 390°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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U2 - 10.1126/science.1096033
DO - 10.1126/science.1096033
M3 - Article
C2 - 15060286
AN - SCOPUS:2342561890
SN - 0036-8075
VL - 304
SP - 1002
EP - 1005
JO - Science
JF - Science
IS - 5673
ER -
