Hydrocarbons in hydrothermal vent fluids: the role of chromium-bearing catalysts - PubMed (original) (raw)

. 2004 May 14;304(5673):1002-5.

doi: 10.1126/science.1096033. Epub 2004 Apr 1.

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Hydrocarbons in hydrothermal vent fluids: the role of chromium-bearing catalysts

Dionysis I Foustoukos et al. Science. 2004.

Abstract

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 (C3H8aq) by mineral-catalyzed hydrothermal reactions at 390 degrees 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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