Pulsated Global Hydrogen and Methane Flux at Mid‐Ocean Ridges Driven by Pangea Breakup
Abstract Molecular hydrogen production occurs through the serpentinization of mantle peridotite exhumed at mid‐ocean ridges. Hydrogen is considered essential to sustain microbial life in the subsurface; however, estimates of hydrogen flux through geological time are unknown. Here we present a model...
Published in: | Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Wiley
2020
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GC008869 https://doaj.org/article/4290644aa5c2465eb78a1c3fa5a4d9d1 |
id |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:4290644aa5c2465eb78a1c3fa5a4d9d1 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:4290644aa5c2465eb78a1c3fa5a4d9d1 2023-12-03T10:18:23+01:00 Pulsated Global Hydrogen and Methane Flux at Mid‐Ocean Ridges Driven by Pangea Breakup Andrew S. Merdith Pablo García delReal Isabelle Daniel Muriel Andreani Nicky M. Wright Nicolas Coltice 2020-04-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GC008869 https://doaj.org/article/4290644aa5c2465eb78a1c3fa5a4d9d1 EN eng Wiley https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GC008869 https://doaj.org/toc/1525-2027 1525-2027 doi:10.1029/2019GC008869 https://doaj.org/article/4290644aa5c2465eb78a1c3fa5a4d9d1 Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, Vol 21, Iss 4, Pp n/a-n/a (2020) hydrogen serpentinization mantle seafloor spreading slow‐spreading ridges pangea Geophysics. Cosmic physics QC801-809 Geology QE1-996.5 article 2020 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GC008869 2023-11-05T01:35:57Z Abstract Molecular hydrogen production occurs through the serpentinization of mantle peridotite exhumed at mid‐ocean ridges. Hydrogen is considered essential to sustain microbial life in the subsurface; however, estimates of hydrogen flux through geological time are unknown. Here we present a model of the primary, abiotic production of molecular hydrogen from the serpentinization of oceanic lithosphere using full‐plate tectonic reconstructions for the last 200 Ma. We find significant variability in hydrogen fluxes (1–70 • 1016 mol/Ma or 0.2–14.1 • 105 Mt/Ma), which are a function of the sensitivity of evolving ocean basins to spreading rates and can be correlated with the opening of key ocean basins during the breakup of Pangea. We suggest that the primary driver of this hydrogen flux is the continental reconfiguration during Pangea breakup, as this produces ocean basins more conducive to exhuming and exposing mantle peridotite at slow and ultraslow spreading ridges. Consequently, present‐day flux estimates are ~7 • 1017 mol/Ma (1.4 • 106 Mt/Ma), driven primarily by the slow and ultraslow spreading ridges in the Atlantic, Indian, and Arctic oceans. As methane has also been sampled alongside hydrogen at hydrothermal vents, we estimate the methane flux using methane‐to‐hydrogen ratios from present‐day hydrothermal vent fluids. These ratios suggest that methane flux ranges between 10 and 100% of the total hydrogen flux, although as the release of methane from these systems is still poorly understood, we suggest a lower estimate, equivalent to around 7–12 • 1016 mol/Ma (1.1–1.9 • 106 Mt/Ma) of methane. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Indian Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 21 4 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
hydrogen serpentinization mantle seafloor spreading slow‐spreading ridges pangea Geophysics. Cosmic physics QC801-809 Geology QE1-996.5 |
spellingShingle |
hydrogen serpentinization mantle seafloor spreading slow‐spreading ridges pangea Geophysics. Cosmic physics QC801-809 Geology QE1-996.5 Andrew S. Merdith Pablo García delReal Isabelle Daniel Muriel Andreani Nicky M. Wright Nicolas Coltice Pulsated Global Hydrogen and Methane Flux at Mid‐Ocean Ridges Driven by Pangea Breakup |
topic_facet |
hydrogen serpentinization mantle seafloor spreading slow‐spreading ridges pangea Geophysics. Cosmic physics QC801-809 Geology QE1-996.5 |
description |
Abstract Molecular hydrogen production occurs through the serpentinization of mantle peridotite exhumed at mid‐ocean ridges. Hydrogen is considered essential to sustain microbial life in the subsurface; however, estimates of hydrogen flux through geological time are unknown. Here we present a model of the primary, abiotic production of molecular hydrogen from the serpentinization of oceanic lithosphere using full‐plate tectonic reconstructions for the last 200 Ma. We find significant variability in hydrogen fluxes (1–70 • 1016 mol/Ma or 0.2–14.1 • 105 Mt/Ma), which are a function of the sensitivity of evolving ocean basins to spreading rates and can be correlated with the opening of key ocean basins during the breakup of Pangea. We suggest that the primary driver of this hydrogen flux is the continental reconfiguration during Pangea breakup, as this produces ocean basins more conducive to exhuming and exposing mantle peridotite at slow and ultraslow spreading ridges. Consequently, present‐day flux estimates are ~7 • 1017 mol/Ma (1.4 • 106 Mt/Ma), driven primarily by the slow and ultraslow spreading ridges in the Atlantic, Indian, and Arctic oceans. As methane has also been sampled alongside hydrogen at hydrothermal vents, we estimate the methane flux using methane‐to‐hydrogen ratios from present‐day hydrothermal vent fluids. These ratios suggest that methane flux ranges between 10 and 100% of the total hydrogen flux, although as the release of methane from these systems is still poorly understood, we suggest a lower estimate, equivalent to around 7–12 • 1016 mol/Ma (1.1–1.9 • 106 Mt/Ma) of methane. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Andrew S. Merdith Pablo García delReal Isabelle Daniel Muriel Andreani Nicky M. Wright Nicolas Coltice |
author_facet |
Andrew S. Merdith Pablo García delReal Isabelle Daniel Muriel Andreani Nicky M. Wright Nicolas Coltice |
author_sort |
Andrew S. Merdith |
title |
Pulsated Global Hydrogen and Methane Flux at Mid‐Ocean Ridges Driven by Pangea Breakup |
title_short |
Pulsated Global Hydrogen and Methane Flux at Mid‐Ocean Ridges Driven by Pangea Breakup |
title_full |
Pulsated Global Hydrogen and Methane Flux at Mid‐Ocean Ridges Driven by Pangea Breakup |
title_fullStr |
Pulsated Global Hydrogen and Methane Flux at Mid‐Ocean Ridges Driven by Pangea Breakup |
title_full_unstemmed |
Pulsated Global Hydrogen and Methane Flux at Mid‐Ocean Ridges Driven by Pangea Breakup |
title_sort |
pulsated global hydrogen and methane flux at mid‐ocean ridges driven by pangea breakup |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GC008869 https://doaj.org/article/4290644aa5c2465eb78a1c3fa5a4d9d1 |
geographic |
Arctic Indian |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Indian |
genre |
Arctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic |
op_source |
Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, Vol 21, Iss 4, Pp n/a-n/a (2020) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GC008869 https://doaj.org/toc/1525-2027 1525-2027 doi:10.1029/2019GC008869 https://doaj.org/article/4290644aa5c2465eb78a1c3fa5a4d9d1 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GC008869 |
container_title |
Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems |
container_volume |
21 |
container_issue |
4 |
_version_ |
1784265357499826176 |