Carbon Isotope Equilibrium Between Methane and Carbon Dioxide in two Continental Hydrothermal Systems: Implications for Methane Production on Mars

Details Carbon Isotope Equilibrium Between Methane and Carbon Dioxide in two Continental Hydrothermal Systems: Implications for Methane Production on Mars Carbon Isotope Equilibrium Between Methane and Carbon Dioxide in two Continental Hydrothermal Systems: Implications for Methane Production on Mars

Dec 2008

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008agufm.p51a1392s&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2008, abstract #P51A-1392

Other

1041 Stable Isotope Geochemistry (0454, 4870), 5220 Hydrothermal Systems And Weathering On Other Planets, 8424 Hydrothermal Systems (0450, 1034, 3017, 3616, 4832, 8135)

Scientific paper

We use an isotope mass-balance model to interpret the carbon isotope composition of co-existing methane and carbon dioxide from two continental hydrothermal spring systems: Great Boiling Springs, NV, and Surprise Valley Hot Springs, CA. The agreement between the data and the model demonstrate that an equilibrium relationship likely exists between carbon dioxide and methane gases collected from several hot spring pools associated with these two hydrothermal spring systems at temperatures as low as 155°C. The carbon isotope values of carbon dioxide for Great Boiling Springs and Surprise Valley Hot Springs range from -24.8‰ to -8.5‰, and those for methane range from -51.2‰ to -24.9‰. These data indicate that despite having relatively depleted carbon isotope values, the minimum formation temperature precludes the possibility that the methane in these systems formed directly from the action of microorganisms. Implications from this study contribute to the growing set of data suggesting that abiogenic methane production may be more common than previously thought. These results also provide a terrestrial analog of continental hydrothermal spring systems that can be used to better understand the origin of methane and carbon dioxide on Mars and elsewhere in the solar system.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Carbon Isotope Equilibrium Between Methane and Carbon Dioxide in two Continental Hydrothermal Systems: Implications for Methane Production on Mars does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Carbon Isotope Equilibrium Between Methane and Carbon Dioxide in two Continental Hydrothermal Systems: Implications for Methane Production on Mars, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Carbon Isotope Equilibrium Between Methane and Carbon Dioxide in two Continental Hydrothermal Systems: Implications for Methane Production on Mars will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1238893