Biology
Scientific paper
Dec 2008
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008agufm.b53c0511c&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2008, abstract #B53C-0511
Biology
0406 Astrobiology And Extraterrestrial Materials, 0412 Biogeochemical Kinetics And Reaction Modeling (0414, 0793, 1615, 4805, 4912), 0448 Geomicrobiology, 0456 Life In Extreme Environments, 0471 Oxidation/Reduction Reactions (4851)
Scientific paper
We examined the mineralogy and aqueous geochemistry associated with five wells sunk (up to 45 m deep) in actively serpentinizing bodies of the Coast Range Ophiolite to assess their potential as subsurface habitats for life. Through production of hydrogen, serpentinization has the potential to support a variety of subsurface microbial metabolisms (e.g., methanogenesis), and is thus of interest both in charting the deep biosphere on Earth and in assessing the habitability of other planetary bodies with ultramafic components. This site, at which repeated monitoring and ready access to the subsurface are possible, offers great potential for characterizing the long-term life-hosting potential of serpentinizing systems. Inspection of archived core cuttings from the same locality, sampling serpentinite up to 110 meters below the surface, reveals nearly completely serpentinized parent rock, with polished and massive serpentine, and prominent bastite (serpentinized pyroxene) grains. Historical records of fluid geochemistry from the wells, dating to their installation in the 1980's, show consistently elevated pH (9.12-10.15) and Ca2+ concentrations (12-84 ppm), consistent with formation under serpentinizing conditions. In general, these formation fluids are depleted in major ions and enriched in Fe and Mn with respect to seawater. New data, including fluid concentrations of methane and hydrogen, are similarly consistent with active serpentinization. Geochemical modeling of these data constrains the free energy yields that could be accessed by H2 - consuming microbial metabolisms, including methanogenesis. These models constitute the first in a series of quantitative assessments of the habitability of a subsurface serpentinizing system.
Cardace D.
Hoehler Tori M.
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