The study was an assessment on the applicability of a classical fluid mechanics approach to treating gas migration aspects of Gold's abiogenic methane hypothesis. Gold's theory on the abiogenic origin of methane is a composite of several interconnected li...

Evidence for the existence of commercial quantities of abiogenic methane has not been obtained. Although the outlook is dim for accumulations of abiogenic methane ever becoming a substantial energy resource, the report recommends funding of research devoted to field experiments and examination of existing data on the chemical and isotopic compositions of ...

... Serpentinazation and abiogenic methane in the Mariana Forearc ... Unveiling the evolution and interplay of ice and gas in quiescent clouds ...

The purpose of the research is to investigate the role of abiogenic methane in the outgassing of the Earth, to explore its role in the formation of petroleum, and to determine whether there is a large enough supply of deep abiogenic methane to contribute ...

The purpose of this research is to elucidate the origin of terrestrial hydrocarbons, principally of methane and petroleum and to determine the importance of the abiogenic methane component in natural gas, which originates at much greater depth than the or...

Sep 15, 2009 ... A Trace Gas. Mission emphasizing a broad survey of atmospheric composition, ... Moreover, active abiogenic geological processes also will ...

Natural hydrocarbons are largely formed by the thermal decomposition of organic matter (thermogenesis) or by microbial processes (bacteriogenesis). But the discovery of methane at an East Pacific Rise hydrothermal vent and in other crustal fluids supports the occurrence of an abiogenic source of hydrocarbons. These abiogenic hydrocarbons are generally ...

Canadian Mining Industry Research Organization (CAMIRO) - Exploration Division, Soil Gas Hydrocarbons Meeting. Toronto, ON. Sherwood Lollar, B. (2005). ...

This methane is abiogenic, so this process may be analogous to what may be ... Unveiling the evolution and interplay of ice and gas in quiescent clouds ...

Selected Navigations: NASA Center > NASA (non Center Specific) [x]; Search Criteria: Search Field: All > Results : All > Search Term: (Abiogenic Gas) [x] ...

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Ten papers were presented at the Deep-Source Gas Workshop. Laser papers are included in this proceedings under the following headings: (1) abiogenic origin of deep source gas; (2) geochemical and thermodynamic studies of deep source gas; (3) detection and...

The theory of the abyssal abiogenic origin of petroleum is a significant part of the modern scientific theories dealing with the formation of hydrocarbons. These theories include the identification of natural hydrocarbon systems, the physical processes leading to their terrestrial concentration, and the dynamic processes controlling the migration of that material into ...

Studies were conducted on the origin of natural gas and petroleum and on the role of natural gas in a number of natural phenomena. Laboratory investigations and theoretical findings give strong support to the existence of abiogenic methane deep in the Ear...

It is commonly agreed that oil and gas are derived from the debris of living organic matter which has been deposited in some type of aquatic environment, and subjected to diagenesis, burial, and the effects of increasing temperature and pressure. From time to time, the concept of an abiogenic origin for oil and gas rises to the surface ...

The research is aimed at determining the importance of the abiogenic methane component in natural gases, and investigating the role and consequences of methane outgassing in a number of natural phenomena. Inverse cracking experiments were conducted along ...

The report investigates the role of abiogenic methane in the outgassing of the Earth, specifically to determine whether there is a large enough supply of deep abiogenic methane to contribute significantly to our energy needs and, if so, whether it is possible to tap the supply. Three experimental and two theoretical lines of research were pursued. The ...

Overwhelming evidence supports the belief that the world's natural-gas resources come from the decomposition of organic matter in sedimentary rock formations. Yet alternative arguments supporting an abiogenic origin have been advanced for more than 100 years. In recent years these arguments have centered on the concept that large quantities of ...

The Alternative Gas Workshop met at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory on September 5 and 6, 1979, to review basic research needs in the development of seven categories of unconventional and nonconventional gas resources. The categories reviewed were Devonian shales, western tight gas sands, methane from coal beds, geopressured ...

Isotopically anomalous CH 4 -rich gas deposits are found in mining sites on both the Canadian and Fennoscandian shields. With 13 C CH4 values from -22.4 to -48.5% and D CH4 values from -133 to -372%, these methane deposits cannot be accounted for by conventional processes of bacterial or thermogenic methanogenesis. Compositionally the gases are similar to other CH 4 ...

The generation of abiogenic methane by serpentinization or by graphite-water reactions in high-grade metamorphic rocks is well documented by isotopic, fluid inclusion, and petrographic studies. However, geochemical evidence is equivocal for abiogenic generation of higher hydrocarbon gases (ethane through pentane) in economic resources. Thermogenic ...

The purpose of this research is to elucidate the origin of terrestrial hydrocarbons, principally of methane and petroleum and to determine the importance of the abiogenic methane component in natural gas, which originates at much greater depth than the organic methane, from meteoritic carbonaceous matter accumulated in the mantle at the time of the ...

Studies were conducted on the origin of natural gas and petroleum and on the role of natural gas in a number of natural phenomena. Laboratory investigations and theoretical findings give strong support to the existence of abiogenic methane deep in the Earth's mantle and lower crust and show that methane at high temperatures ...

Ten papers were presented at the Deep-Source Gas Workshop. Laser papers are included in this proceedings under the following headings: (1) abiogenic origin of deep source gas; (2) geochemical and thermodynamic studies of deep source gas; (3) detection and differentiation of deep source gases; (4) deep sedimentary ...

This paper provides a summary of the different theories of the origin of petroleum and natural gas. It presents experimental data to support the different evidences for both organic and inorganic hydrocarbon formation. It goes on to present information on experimental conditions for synthesis of hydrocarbons and the results. Based on the idea of abiogenic ...

This conferences deals primiarily with the geology and geochemistry of natural gas hydrate deposits. Other topics included are the geochemistry of residual petroleum, the hydrothermal alteration of organic matter, the abiogenic origin of natural gas and petroleum, analytical chemistry techniques in geochemistry, the geochemistry of ...

Given the uncertainty of future world energy reserves, current knowledge of the origin and nature of natural gas needs to be expanded. The relative importance of processes of formation of natural gas will help in decision making for future exploration programs. The objective of this report is to define the origin, migration and present distribution of ...

This paper discussed a drilling project which was due to take place in Sweden. A Swedish group was to begin drilling a deep hole into the earth's crust. The team hoped to find hydrocarbons, particularly natural gas. The drilling project was also to test the theory of abiogenic hydrocarbons propounded by Cornell University radiophysicist and ...

If confirmed, the recently-discovered methane (CH4) plume on Mars, in the Northern Summer of 2003, would reflect an emission of ~ 19 x103 tonnes y-1 and possibly even ~ 57 x104 tonnes y-1. Serpentinization in ophiolitic rocks is one of the main processes that are inferred for the origin of methane on Mars. Ophiolites or, hydrated mineral-bearing rocks in general on Earth could serve as analogs. So ...

The research is aimed at determining the importance of the abiogenic methane component in natural gases, and investigating the role and consequences of methane outgassing in a number of natural phenomena. Inverse cracking experiments were conducted along with investigations of the pyrolysis of methane, regional patterns of mixing ratios, and the granitic rock in Siljan, ...

Abiogenic organic substances formed in prestellar dust and gas clouds are to a large extent the products of polymerization of formaldehyde. It is postulated that these dust and molecular clouds may also be an environment favoring processes of biological evolution. Primitive organisms arising in these regions can be spread throughout the universe, by ...

Most carbon degassed from Earth's interior is released as volcanic and hydrothermal carbon dioxide along oceanic spreading ridges and as volcanic and geothermal carbon dioxide in continental regions. The chemistry of the earth's interior is poorly understood, however, and methane, rather than carbon dioxide, may be the dominant form of carbon throughout much of the mantle. ...

Unconventional natural gas sources are subject to considerable amounts of research and controversy. The most often-mentioned unconventional sources are tight gas formations, coal seams, aquifers, and Devonian shales. However, there are other unconventional sources that also should be pointed out: methane hydrates, ultra-deep formations, and ...

Between 12�N and the Azores Triple Junction along the MAR, CH4 anomalies over axial ultramafic sites are common and point to the association of high or low temperature hydrothermal activity and mantle degassing indicative of ongoing serpentinization process. The general occurrence of isotopically-heavy methane shows the possible abiogenic synthesis of hydrocarbons in ...

Field investigations in the deep mines of South Africa, targeting gas and fluids under extreme conditions of temperature, pressure, salinity, and locally radioactivity indicate the existence of micro-organisms (in particular methanogens). Gases associated with the saline water pockets (>3km in depth) within the Precambrian Witwatersrand Basin, South Africa are rich in ...

This unit explores a recent and controversial theory of the origin of much of the Earth's natural gas and oil. The materials provided will give students the opportunity to: (1) gain an understanding of science and what is involved in the acceptance or rejection of theories; (2) learn about fossil fuels, especially natural gas; (3) learn the traditional and ...

The composition of natural gas accumulations is controlled by many factors, including source material, burial depth, geothermal gradient, migration history and the presence of reservoir oxidants. In order to investigate these factors, and in particular, to evaluate the economic significance of abiogenic, deep-earth gas, six hundred ...

Evidence for the existence of commercial quantities of abiogenic methane has not been obtained. Although the outlook is dim for accumulations of abiogenic methane ever becoming a substantial energy resource, the report recommends funding of research devot...

May 31, 2006 ... You are here: AB Home ? Articles ? Abiogenic Explanation for Methane on Mars. About Astrobiology � Funding Opportunities � Focus Groups ...

Spatial variability of methane (CH4) on Mars suggests the presence of localized subsurface sources. Here, we show that olivine hydration in the Martian regolith and crust may be a major CH4 source, which contributed significantly to the warming of early Mars. Methane production is kinetically and thermodynamically favored during low-T aqueous alteration of olivine-rich rocks. Sustained release of ...

The petroleum hydrocarbons (oil like components and gas) and kerogen macromolecule are abundant within the extraterrestrial atmospheric particles, as reservoir of lakes and oceans or in hydrate forms, and within various carbonaceous chondrites (from asteroid belts, comets, and planets/moons), and as solid residue within the planets or moons within and outside our Solar System. ...

The theory of biogenic origin of hydrocarbon fuels was originated in the 1830s by William Logan, and enhanced in the 1920s by J.B.S. Haldane's concept of petroleum created from marine organisms. Research findings are substantiating the concept of abiogenic origin of fuels. More logical interpretations of Logan's three astute observations, together with ...

Light hydrocarbon gases (methane through pentane) in high-temperature hydrothermal fluids of the Guaymas basin, Gulf of California, are predominantly derived from thermocatalysis of organic carbon in sediments intruded by mid-ocean ridge volcanic rocks. The spectrum of C{sub 1}-C{sub 5} gases in Guaymas basin hydrothermal fluids is characterized by a preponderance of alkanes, with essentially no ...

Papers are presented from an All-Union conference (December 1982) dealing with such topics as mantle degassing and oil and gas deposits in the earth crust; oil and gas deposits in rift zones; the formation of the gaseous component of subterranean waters in the Carpathian and Black Sea (Crimean) oil-and-gas-bearing regions; methane in ...

Criteria of biogenicity of microspheroidal objects, which have been interpreted as microfossils, are

The purpose of the research is to investigate the role of abiogenic methane in the outgassing of the Earth, to explore its role in the formation of petroleum, and to determine whether there is a large enough supply of deep abiogenic methane to contribute significantly to the energy needs. The laboratory experiments on the methane addition to a ...

Isotopically anomalous CH[sub 4]-rich gas deposits are found in mining sites on both the Canadian and Fennoscandian shields. With [delta][sup 13]C[sub CH4] values from -22.4 to -48.5% and [delta]D[sub CH4] values from -133 to -372%, these methane deposits cannot be accounted for by conventional processes for bacterial or thermogenic methanogenesis. Compositionally the gases ...

In situ analytical techniques Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy (?FTIR) and ion microprobe have been used to unravel the origin of solid bitumen associated with the uranium deposits of Athabasca (Saskatchewan, Canada). Both aliphaticity and carbon isotopic compositions within the samples are heterogeneous but spatially organized in concentric zonations at the micrometer scale. ...

The most-often mentioned sources of unconventional natural gas are tight gas formations, coal seams, aquifers, and Devonian shales. However, there are other unconventional sources such as methane hydrates, ultra-deep formations, and abiogenic gas. The chemical composition of gas from ...

The presence of methane on Mars is of great interest, since one possibility for its origin is that it derives from living microbes. However, CH4 in the martian atmosphere also could be attributable to geologic emissions released through pathways similar to those occurring on Earth. Using recent data on methane degassing of the Earth, we have estimated the relative terrestrial contributions of ...

Although hydrocarbon-bearing fluids have been known from the alkaline igneous rocks of the Khibiny intrusion for many years, their origin remains enigmatic. A recently proposed model of post-magmatic hydrocarbon (HC) generation through Fischer-Tropsch (FT) type reactions suggests the hydration of Fe-bearing phases and release of H2 which reacts with magmatically derived CO2 to form CH4 and higher ...

The early earth's atmosphere and hydrosphere were formed in parallel with the earth's growth. The laser pulse effect on various rocks and meteorites was used to simulate the melting and evaporation processes of planetesimal matter caused by high-speed impact. The residual gas mixture contains both oxided and reduced components: CO, CO2, SO2, H2O, N2, in less ...

Volcanoes were deduced to be high-productive generators of complex organic compounds. Ash-gas clouds produced by volcanic eruptions can be considered as many-kilometer chemical reactors with a wide range of temperatures and pressures, powerful electric discharges and a large catalytic surface. In the eruption products investigated, nitrogen-containing components on nucleic ...

Mottl, M.J., Komor, S.C., Fryer, P. & Moyer, C.L. (2004). Serpentinization, abiogenic methane, and ... Mottl, M.J., Wheat, C.G. & Fryer, P. (2004). ...

Continued with our experimental project to compare biogenic weathering, sterile controls, and strictly abiogenic weathering ...

The unified web presence for the NASA Astrobiology Program which includes the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI), Astrobiology Science and Technology for ...

Continued with our experimental project to compare biogenic weathering, sterile controls, and strictly abiogenic weathering ...

Experimental abiogenic synthesis and stable carbon and hydrogen isotope values of gaseous hydrocarbons and the implications for identifying biosignatures ...

The Siljan Ring structure in central Sweden is a 360-Ma meteorite impact crater with an excavated diameter of 45 km. The Gravberg 1 well, just outside the excavated region on the northeast rim, was drilled as a commercial venture to explore for abiogenic gas of mantle origin. The well reached a true vertical depth of 6,779 m, penetrating only Precambrian ...

In late 2005 and early 2006, the WTW Operating, LLC (W.T.W. Oil Co., Inc.) no. 1 Wilson well (T.D. = 5772 ft; 1759.3 m) was drilled for 1826 ft (556.6 m) into Precambrian basement underlying the Forest City Basin in northeastern Kansas. Approximately 4500 of the 380,000 wells drilled in Kansas penetrate Precambrian basement. Except for two previous wells drilled into the arkoses and basalts of the ...

The Astrakhan gas-condensate deposit has high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide, the origin of which is of not only theoretical but practical importance, since it has a considerable effect on the reliability of forecasting the presence of high-sulfur gases, not only in the Caspian region but in other parts of the country. Two views have been expressed on the origin of the ...

The composition of n-alkanes in hydrothermal formations was studied in hydrothermal fields of several zones of Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The samples for investigation were collected on cruise 50 of R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh by Mir-1 and Mir-2 manned submersibles (Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, RAS). Molecular and group compositions of n-alkanes were analyzed in sulfide and carbonate deposits of ...

The combination of carbon-bearing compounds in the kimberlite pipes may be divided into distinct geochemical groups, genetically associated with exogenic or endogenic geological processes. In analyzing the isotope composition of diamonds from eclogite and kimberlite, graphite in concentrated form from eclogite and ultrabasic inclusions in kimberlite, and postmagmaic carbonic acid from the matrix ...

Detailed study of reservoir rocks in oil and gas condensate fields of the former Soviet Union shows that these rocks are strongly altered on the oil-water contacts (OWC) formed during periodic filling of traps by oil. After each period of filling, the ancient OWC was temporarily stabilized. The stabilization was associated with solution of minerals in cement and matrix of the ...

Deep source gas research exists to verify that natural gas can exist at depths in excess of 30,000 feet, to relate these occurences to conceptual models, to define the limits of target areas, to quantify the resource, and to determine the potential significance of such finds on the nation's future gas supply. There are three ...

Geochemical and rock magnetic studies of strata over Cement oil field (Anadarko basin, Oklahoma), Simpson oil field (North Slope basin, Alaska), and the Edwards deep gas trend, south Texas coastal plain, document changes in original magnetizations caused by postdepositional iron sulfide minerals that are, or may be, related to hydrocarbon seepage. At Cement, ferrimagnetic ...

The Khibiny Complex hosts a wide variety of carbon-bearing species that include both oxidized and reduced varieties. Oxidised varieties include carbonate minerals, especially in the carbonatite complex at the eastern end of the pluton, and Na-carbonate phases. Reduced varieties include abiogenic hydrocarbon gases, particularly methane and ethane, dispersed bitumens, solid ...

Measurements of CO2 and CH4 in 3 m deep groundwater, soil-gas, and soil-atmosphere fluxes were completed in two grasslands in central Italy having the same soil conditions but different subsoil fault-linked secondary permeability. Unfaulted grassland displays gas-phase equilibrium between soil-air and groundwater, typical soil-gas ...

It has been suggested that the carbonates and submicrometer grains of magnetite, pyrrhotite, and an Fe-S phase identified as "probably griegite" were all biogenic in origin. Their arguments were based on similarities in the compositions, structures, shapes, and sizes of these minerals with terrestrial bio-minerals and the apparent absence of plausible abiogenic origins. Here ...

Isotopic Signatures of Methane and Higher Hydrocarbon Gases from Precambrian Shield Sites: A Model for Abiogenic Polymerization of Hydrocarbons ...

Jul 7, 2011 ... Isotopic Signatures of Methane and Higher Hydrocarbon Gases from Precambrian Shield Sites: A Model for Abiogenic Polymerization of ...

Springs with high alkalinity also have high methane (>44 mmol/kg) that feeds sulfate-reducing microbial communities in the shallow subsurface and macrofauna ...

... experiments do indeed show the pattern of inverse carbon isotope depletion and hydrogen isotope enrichment hypothesized by Sherwood Lollar et al. ...

... variation between CH4 and the higher hydrocarbon gases (specifically ethane, propane, butane, and pentane) consistent with abiogenic polymerization. ...

4 days ago ... Compound specific hydrogen and carbon isotopes as a tool to ... Carbon and hydrogen isotope measurements in abiogenic hydrocarbon synthesis. ...

It has been shown that gamma-irradiation of solutions of carbohydrates in the presence of sulfates and metal oxide sols results in oxidative and destructive processes and leads to formation of carbonile compounds, organic acids, H2CO, and a substance with lambda max= =261 nm. With respect to their catalytic effect on carbohydrate changes, the sulfates and metal oxide sols investigated may be ...

Organic matter has been found in the juvenile ash of seven volcanoes in Kamchatka, the Kurile Island and Indonesia. Its amount in one eruption is of the order of 100 000 tons. This matter constitutes a multicomponent mixture (more than 150 components) of, mainly, high-boiling (b.p. over 250�C) organic compounds of a complex structure. These are represented by hydrocarbons of saturated and ...

Recent observations of CH4 in the Martian atmosphere suggest that CH4 has been added relatively recently. Several mechanisms for recent CH4 release have been proposed including subsurface biological methanogenesis, abiogenic hydrothermal and/or volcanic activity, dissociation of CH4 hydrates, atmospheric photolysis, or addition of organics via bolide impact. This study ...

Volcanic rocks contain a small amount of gaseous, liquid, and solid organic compounds, present in inclusions in the minerals and intermineral pores of the rocks. The distribution of carbon isotopes in CH/sub 4/, C/sub 2/H/sub 8/ and C/sub 3/H/sub 8/, is the reverse of that of the hydrocarbon gases of sedimentary rocks. The content of bitumoids extracted by chloroform is less than a few thousandths ...

The type and distribution of organic compounds present in samples of the Earth's mantle have been characterized by surface analysis by laser ionization, field ionization mass spectrometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and carbon X-ray microscopy. The most commonly observed organic species are olefins (propene, butene, hexene) and aromatic compounds (benzene and toluene). Less ...

It has been proposed that the major source of natural gas accumulations is inorganic methane outgassed from the mantle. However, for mantle methane to be incorporated into explorable hydrocarbon reservoirs, it must be transported upwards to the near-surface. Volatiles are strongly partitioned into melt phases and can be carried to the near surface by melts. Extensional rifts ...

It has been suggested that the regional distribution of vanadium in crude oil may provide information on the origin of natural gas and petroleum deposits on earth. If there are regional patterns in the concentration which are large in scale and unrelated to sedimentary or tectonic environments, this may support the theory that economically important quantities of ...

The signature of carbonate minerals has long been suspected in the mid-infrared spectra of various astrophysical environments such as protostars. Abiogenic carbonates are considered as indicators of aqueous mineral alteration in the presence of CO2-rich liquid water. The recent claimed detection of calcite associated with amorphous silicates in two planetary nebulae and ...

Serpentinization - a reaction between water and ultramafic rock (derived from the mantle) - is suspected to be a source of hydrocarbons such as methane on Mars. Through the hydration of ultramafic rock, this reaction produces hydrogen (H2) gas and reducing conditions necessary for abiogenic hydrocarbon synthesis, while also producing conditions amendable ...

Determining the geologically relevant conditions for, and geochemical indicators of, abiogenic hydrocarbon production in hydrothermal systems will aid in the identification of abiogenic and biogenic hydrocarbons, and carbon cycling in hydrothermal systems. In this study, abiogenic gaseous hydrocarbons were synthesized in hydrothermal ...

Recent reports of methane in the atmosphere of Mars raised the question of abiogenic versus biogenic methanogenesis on that planet. Resolving the question of the origin of methane on Mars is made even more challenging given that distinguishing between abiogenic and biogenic sources of methane in the terrestrial subsurface is still controversial, in part ...

The circulation and mineralization of organic matter in natural ecosystems occurs as a result of biogenic processes; the significance of abiogenic factors is slight. Human economic activity creates the conditions wherein the circulation of elements and the mineralization of organic matter can occur abiogenically (as a result of acid rain and, in ...

More than 50% of the annual production of natural gas (ca. 20 x 10{sup 9} m{sup 3}) in Germany (1993) derives from Carboniferous, Zechstein and Buntsandstein deposits. Nitrogen contents of these gases vary from 1% to 74%, with {delta}{sup 15}N-values ranging from -2.7 to +15.5{per_thousand}. Based on geological and geochemical coincidences, two main groups of gases can be ...

The geochemical analysis program for the Gravberg 1 well in the Siljan Ring (impact structure in Sweden) monitors and evaluates for scientific and commercial purposes the gas encountered in the borehole which has penetrated Precambrian crystalline rocks to a depth of 6.6 km. At the well, three different systems measure hydrocarbons C/sub 1/-C/sub 5/. Inorganic gases, H/sub 2/, ...

While geochemical indicators or `biosignatures', such as stable carbon and hydrogen isotope values, of biogenic hydrocarbons have been identified, less is known about unambiguous abiogenic hydrocarbons, because they are rare and, until recently, difficult to create in laboratory experiments. Traditionally, hydrocarbons that are depleted in 13C are considered to be of biogenic ...

New hydrothermal fields were recently explored and sampled between 12� and 17�N (MAR) on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge as a part of the French-Russian cooperative SERPENTINE diving cruise. In addition to the Logachev I site (14�45N) previously studied and revisited during this cruise, new smoking areas, called Ashaze I and 2 (12�58N) and Logachev 2 (14�43N) were discovered in ultramafic ...

Noble gas analyses of ground water collected from the deep, fractured, basaltic andesite and quartzite Archean strata in South Africa suggest subsurface residence times ranging from tens to hundreds of millions of years. Hydraulically isolated compartments of highly saline water contain hundreds of ?M concentrations of gas comprised primarily of C1-4 ...

Hydrogen gas occurs in ten Kansas wells near the Mid-Continent rift system. Since 1982, two wells have yielded small amounts of gases containing an average of 29-37 mole % H/sub 2/, the remainder being chiefly N/sub 2/ with only traces of hydrocarbons. Isotopic compositions for hydrogen (delta D = -740 to -836 per thousand) imply near-ambient (about 10/sup 0/C) equilibration ...

Dissolved H(2) concentrations up to the mM range and H(2) levels up to 9-58% by volume in the free gas phase are reported for groundwaters at sites in the Precambrian shields of Canada and Finland. Along with previously reported dissolved H(2) concentrations up to 7.4 mM for groundwaters from the Witwatersrand Basin, South Africa, these findings indicate that deep Precambrian ...

Dissolved H2 concentrations up to the mM range and H2 levels up to 9-58% by volume in the free gas phase are reported for groundwaters at sites in the Precambrian shields of Canada and Finland. Along with previously reported dissolved H2 concentrations up to 7.4 mM for groundwaters from the Witwatersrand Basin, South Africa, these findings indicate that deep Precambrian Shield ...

Trace elements in Gravberg drillhole samples in granitic rock at the Siljan impact structure in Sweden were studied. The impact structure is the first non-sedimentary basin related formation to be used to test the thesis of abiogenic hydrocarbon resources...

Carrying out biological experiments in space conditions is of great interest because this kind of investigations are considered to be the part of solving the life origin problem both on Earth and in the whole Universe. Search for the non-Earth life is closely connected with investigation of conformities of biologically significant substances (BSS) appearance on different cosmic objects. The ...

Three major problems beset paleontologists searching for morphological evidence of life on early Earth: selecting a prospective site; finding biogenic structures; and distinguishing biogenic from abiogenic structures. The same problems arise on Mars. Terr...

Abiogenic synthesis of fatty acids was studied in photochemical conversions of saturated hydrocarbons. It was shown that, in a hydrocarbon water CaCO3 suspension, the action of 254 nm UV rays caused the formation of fatty acids with a maximum number of ca...

While geochemical indicators or 'biosignatures', such as stable carbon and hydrogen isotope values, of biogenic hydrocarbons have been identified, less is known about unambiguous abiogenic hydrocarbons. Traditionally, hydrocarbons that are depleted in carbon-13 are considered to be of biogenic origin, because many biological enzymatic reactions are known to preferentially ...

Basic changes over the past 50 years in the theory of the evolution of life on earth are outlined. The first concerns the possibility of the abiogenous synthesis of organic matter on earth. Radioastronomic data has indicated that complex and high molecula...

The temperature and redox conditions of the crystallization of rocks from the Khibiny alkaline pluton have been estimated based on an analysis of coexisting magnetite, ilmenite, titanite, and pyroxene. Under redox conditions characteristic of the Khibiny Complex, CO2 is contained in fluid and carbonate anions are contained in melt at high temperature; then graphite is released and an appreciable ...

A fundamental goal of a number of forthcoming space missions is the detection and characterization of organic matter on planetary surfaces. Successful interpretation of data generated by in situ experiments will require discrimination between abiogenic and biogenic organic compounds. Carbon-rich meteorites provide scientists with examples of authentic extraterrestrial organic ...

Main postulates of the theory of abiogenic abyssal origin of petroleum have been developed in the last 50 years in Russia and Ukraine. According to this theory, hydrocarbon compounds were generated in the mantle and migrated through the deep faults into the Earth's crust. There they formed oil and gas deposits in any kinds of rocks and in any kind of their ...

Trace gases are known to exert a tremendous influence on planetary atmospheres. By understanding spatial and temporal trace gas behavioral patterns vast amounts of information about the celestial body can be deduced, from current conditions to past history to future evolution. The discovery of episodic methane plumes on Mars argues the presence of ethane, regardless of origin, ...

The distributions of sulfur-containing compounds generated by flash pyrolysis of macromolecular sedimentary organic matter (kerogen, coal, asphaltenes) were studied by gas chromatography in combination with S-selective flame photometric detection or mass spectrometry. The abundance of S-containing pyrolysis products in the pyrolysates relative to other products was highly ...

The detection of methane on Mars has revived the possibility of past or extant life on this planet, despite the fact that an abiogenic origin is thought to be equally plausible. An intriguing aspect of the recent observations of methane on Mars is that methane concentrations appear to be locally enhanced and change with the seasons. However, methane has a photochemical ...

The microbial diversity of a 1.83km deep, thermophilic, fluid-filled subterranean fracture was monitored over a three and a half month period and correlated to observed changes in the geochemistry of the system. Three water samples were analyzed using 16S rDNA molecular techniques for microbial diversity, isotopic and geochemical composition. Gibbs' free energy of microbial redox reactions ...

Analyses of 227 rocks from fifty localities throughout the world showed that mantle derived rocks such as tectonized peridotites in ophiolite sequences (tectonites) arid peridotite xenoliths in alkali basalts contain heavier hydrocarbons (n-alkanes), whereas igneous rocks produced by magmas such as gabbro arid granite lack them. The occurrence of hydrocarbons indicates that they were not derived ...

Analyses of 227 rocks from fifty localities throughout the world showed that mantle derived rocks such as tectonized peridotites in ophiolite sequences (tectonites) and peridotite xenoliths in alkali basalts contain heavier hydrocarbons (n-alkanes), whereas igneous rocks produced by magmas such as gabbro and granite lack them. The occurrence of hydrocarbons indicates that they were not derived ...

A review of available geologic literature has indicated numerous references detailing the occurrences of hydrocarbon in igneous and metamorphic rocks. Notable among these references is a paper by Chung-Hsiang P'an and a group of papers edited by Sidney Powers. Collectively, these papers conclude a biogenic source for hydrocarbons, most of which occur in (1) weathered igneous and ...

Pore water and fluid inclusion compositions were determined on pristine rock cores from the Ventersdorp and Witwatersrand Supergroup by leaching experiments in order to constrain the origin of the chemical nutrients in the fracture water of the Witwatersrand basin. Subsequent chemical extractions including fusion analyses of the rock cores constrained the redox relevant mineral abundances of ...

Sulfidic, 54-60 C, 3 to 30 million year old meteoric water stably Alkaline, sulfidic, 54 to 60 C, 4 to 53 million-year-old meteoric water emanating from a borehole intersecting quartzite-hosted fractures >3.3 km beneath the surface supported a microbial community dominated by a bacterial species affiliated with Desulfotomaculum spp. and an archaeal species related to Methanobacterium spp. ...

Alkaline, sulfidic, 54 to 60 degrees C, 4 to 53 million-year-old meteoric water emanating from a borehole intersecting quartzite-hosted fractures >3.3 km beneath the surface supported a microbial community dominated by a bacterial species affiliated with Desulfotomaculum spp. and an archaeal species related to Methanobacterium spp. The geochemical homogeneity over the 650-m length of the ...

Alkaline, sulfidic, 54 to 60�C, 4 to 53 million-year-old meteoric water emanating from a borehole intersecting quartzite-hosted fractures >3.3 km beneath the surface supported a microbial community dominated by a bacterial species affiliated with Desulfotomaculum spp. and an archaeal species related to Methanobacterium spp. The geochemical homogeneity over the 650-m length of the borehole, ...

Mars appears to have experienced little compositional differentiation of primitive lithosphere, and thus much of the surface of Mars is covered by mafic lavas. On Earth, mafic and ultramafic rocks present in ophiolites, oceanic crust and upper mantle that have been obducted onto land, are therefore good analogs for Mars. The characteristic mineralogy, aqueous geochemistry, and microbial ...

Mars appears to have experienced little compositional differentiation of primitive lithosphere, and thus much of the surface of Mars is covered by mafic lavas. On Earth, mafic and ultramafic rocks present in ophiolites, oceanic crust and upper mantle that have been obducted onto land, are therefore good analogs for Mars. The characteristic mineralogy, aqueous geochemistry, and microbial ...

Coral reefs are spectacular examples of biomineralization yet the fundamental processes by which corals precipitate aragonite remain elusive. Numerous studies have investigated `daily' growth bands and other fine scale features in coral skeletons as clues for understanding the biomineralization process. However, a comparison of such structures with abiogenic aragonites has ...

Abiogenic photochemical synthesis of complex biochemical compounds on the surface of small bodies in our Solar system was examined. The hydrated minerals are found within a chondrite matrix of meteorites together with significant amounts of organic matter. Clays are likely to have formed when water was presented on parent meteoritic bodies. In order to verify the existence of ...

The abiogenic photochemical synthesis of complex biochemical compounds on the surface of small bodies in our Solar system was examined. Hydrated minerals are found within a chondrite matrix of meteorites together with significant amounts of organic matter. Clays are likely to have formed when water was present on parent meteoritic bodies. In order to verify the existence of a ...

One among the most perspective direction in studying the ocean floor is the research of hydrothermal fields within the most active zone � in the rift valleys, where the processes of spreading of the ocean floor, uplift of the deep matter to the surface of the ocean floor, and creation of the new oceanic crust occur. Volcanic activity here is accompanied with the formation of hydrothermal system ...

The formation of aqueous organic sulfur compounds in hydrothermal systems remains poorly constrained, despite their potential significance in 'prebiotic' chemistry and the origin of life. The simplest - methanethiol (CH3SH) - has been implicated as a critical abiogenic precursor to the establishment of primitive microbial metabolism in early Earth hydrothermal settings. It ...

With growing interest in and demonstrated cases of inorganic hydrothermal synthesis of reduced or organic carbon compounds from CO and CO{sub 2}, it becomes crucial to establish geochemical criteria to distinguish reduced/organic carbon compounds of abiogenic origin from those of biogenic origin with overwhelming abundances on the surface and in subsurface of the Earth. ...

A model for abiogenic photophosphorylation of ADP by orthophosphate to yield ATP was studied. The model is based on the photochemical activity of flavoproteinoid microspheres that are formed by aggregation in an aqueous medium of products of thermal condensation of a glutamic acid, glycine and lysine mixture (8:3:1) and contain, along with amino acid polymers (proteinoids), ...

The purpose of the study was to determine the possibility of stabilization of protein-carbohydrate and protein-nucleic acid systems by products of the abiogenic oxidation of pyrocatechol, pyrogallol, and o-dianisidine using the energy of gamma radiation. The protein-nucleic acid system was produced by mixing the following reagents: histone, DNA, acetate buffer, and a solution ...

Recently, experiments conducted on methane at high pressures and temperatures have produced evidence to suggest that abiogenic processes in the upper mantle have the potential to yield longer-chain hydrocarbons, including petroleum spectrum hydrocarbons. We have conducted in-situ Raman scattering measurements in the laser-heated diamond-anvil cell on methane-water mixtures to ...

The abiogenic synthesis of pyrimidine nucleotides in solid state has been investigated. Our experiment indicates that natural nucleotides are produced in thin films prepared from nucleoside and inorganic phosphate by irradiating with vacuum ultraviolet light (VUV, lambda=100-200 nm). We have investigated the influence of the type of nucleic acids base (thymidine, cytosine, ...

Low-molecular-weight hydrocarbons in natural hydrothermal fluids have been attributed to abiogenic production by Fischer-Tropsch type (FTT) reactions, although clear evidence for such a process has been elusive. Here, we present concentration, and stable and radiocarbon isotope, data from hydrocarbons dissolved in hydrogen-rich fluids venting at the ultramafic-hosted Lost City ...

The elements that build up a landscape on Earth consists of natural (biogenic and abiogenic - lithologic, atmospheric, hydrologic) and artificial (antropogenic) factors. Landscape is a complex system of these different elements, which interact with one another. For example the same lithology makes different landscapes under different climatic conditions. If the same conditions ...

Carbon isotopic compositions (13C/12C) of CO2 on the earth vary by their origin. Therefore, carbon isotopic compositions serve as a fingerprint that is useful for clarification of the origin and global circulation of CO2. We investigated the applicability of micro-Raman spectroscopy for determining carbon isotopic compositions (13C/12C) of minute CO2 fluid inclusions in minerals. This method is ...

We present evidence for methane seepage during the Early Jurassic (~ 185 Ma) in the form of newly discovered extensive occurrences of carbonate concretions that resemble the subsurface plumbing system of better known Cenozoic to Recent examples of cold seep carbonates. Columnar carbonate concretions of up to 1 m in length that are perpendicular to bedding, occur abundantly in the Upper ...

On the right-hand bank of the Volkhov River, in the natural area of tektite-like glasses (Volkhovites), fragments of shungites and slags with bunches of hairlike dark brownish enclosures were found. The filament thickness ranged from 20 to 100 ?m, and separate �hairlines� were 3 cm in length. The composition of shungites and �hairlines� was found to be identical, which allowed us to ...

Carbon isotopic composition was measured for products of the Fischer Tropsch synthesis: catalytic reaction between CO and H2 to produce CO, CO2, light hydrocarbons C1 C4 and �oil� fraction. Hydrogen isotopes were also measured in the oil fraction and the produced water. Experimental runs were conducted in the flow-through reactor at 260 310 �C and 30 bar using the synthesis ...

Search. NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration ... Searching for water and organic material in the Outer Solar System ... on the transition from abiogenic geochemistry to biotic systems in the deep subsurface and identification of signature for life ... Placozoa and the Emergence of Animal Life ...

This article discusses the comments of J.F.Kenney regarding the paper presented by Sugisaki and Mimura on the possible abiogenic origin of hydrocarbons in mantle rocks. They discuss the problems pointed out by Kenney and emphasize the consistency between their results and the studies of several Russian scientists.

the life from increasingly complex autocatalytic chemical cycles presumably developed at the surface for the abiogenic origin of life that 1) would be scientifically plausible, 2) could serve as a common basis capable of evolution by natural selection suggested in [26], or Life is a self-sustained chemical system

A survey of theoretical and experimental studies shows that impact degasing and differentiation led to the formation of the early atmosphere, hydrosphere, and protocrust. In addition, the formation of a large number of hydrocarbons (from CH4 to C6H6) and appreciable quantities of hydrocyanic acid is noted to be an important condition for the abiogenic synthesis of complex ...

the hydrothermal system, we conservatively set Fyield = 0.5, which produces an annual global flux of 1.35 Mt CH4 y peridotite-hosted hydrothermal systems; their method of calculation, however, was partic- ularly sensitive in vigorously convecting hydrother- mal systems could lead to lower methane yields, although relatively little

a high contrast artificial-color image. The latter in particular shows mineralized ...... the group C3v were investigated. Intensity formulas for both the paral- ...... of chromophores and abiogenic precursors containing. N-S bonds . ...

Laboratory measurements indicate that solid carbon, either amorphous or as graphite, enhances the electrical conductivity of rocks. Carbon in quantities of only a few ppm, providing it forms an interconnected phase, could give rise to electrical conductivities of the order seen in the high conductivity layers in the earth's mantle. This possibility is consistent with carbon petrology in ...

The S-potentials in response to stimulation by light of individual cells in the retinae of fish depend on relatively high concentration of oxygen and on the physiological integrity of the receptors. This suggests that S-potentials and the natural photodyn...

In this study we combine energy loss magnetic circular dichroism (EMCD) and energy filtered transmission electron microscopy (EFTEM) to map magnetic properties of nanoparticles. We show that it is a functional tool for investigating the magnetic behaviour of bio-mineralized magnetite crystals of Magnetospirillum magnetotacticum. We find that the spatial resolution of our experimental set-up is in ...

Phase I of this project was designed to collect and analyze hydrocarbon gases from three major sources: deep sedimentary basins, abiogenic, and subducted sediments. Results of the analytical scheme have been used to differentiate subduction zone gases fro...

This article is a comment on the research reported on by R. Sugisaki and K. Mimura concerning the origin of hydrocarbons in mantle xenoliths and other mantle-derived rocks such as basalt.Several lines of research suggest that the source of the hydrocarbons is abiogeneic. This research may have important implications for petroleum exploration and production.

With growing interest in and demonstrated cases of inorganic hydrothermal synthesis of reduced or organic carbon compounds from CO and CO(sub 2), it becomes crucial to establish geochemical criteria to distinguish reduced/organic carbon compounds of abiog...

grains, organic compounds or trapped CO2 in a modified Fischer�Tropsch reaction to produce methane, e of Titan by a combination of serpentinization and Fisher�Tropsch-like catalytic reactions acting on the earliest Earth by abiogenic processes, such as the serpentinization and Fisher�Tropsch reactions we have

Glaciated Plains. Measurement of Secchi depth is one of the least #12; 3 BAYESIAN PRECISION AND SAMPLE SIZE 3 it reappears; the mean of these two depths is the Secchi depth (Wetzel and Likens, 1991). Interpretation of Secchi depth data is difficult, because water transparency is im� pacted by both biogenic and abiogenic

Anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) is an enormous sink in anoxic marine sediments for methane produced in situ or ascending through the sediment column towards the seafloor. Existing estimates indicate that between 75 and 382 Tg of sedimentary methane are oxidized each year before reaching the sediment-water interface making AOM a diagenetic process of global significance. This methane is ...

Methane plays an important role in the Earth's atmospheric chemistry and radiative balance being the second most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide. Methane is released to the atmosphere by a wide number of sources, both natural and anthropogenic, with the latter being twice as large as the former (IPCC, 2007). It has recently been established that significant ...

The carbon isotope composition in CO2 and CH4 are commonly used as exploration tools and diagnostic indicators to investigate the origin of endogenous gases. At temperature <200 �C both proportions and isotope ratios of these two gases are considered to be largely controlled by processes (i.e. bacterial activity, thermal hydrolysis, and cracking of organic matter) that are mainly dictated by ...