| Project/Area Number |
21H01198
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Review Section |
Basic Section 17050:Biogeosciences-related
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| Research Institution | Tokyo Institute of Technology |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
中川 麻悠子 東京工業大学, 理学院, 研究員 (20647664)
山田 桂太 東京工業大学, 物質理工学院, 准教授 (70323780)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
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| Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 2023)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥18,070,000 (Direct Cost: ¥13,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥4,170,000)
Fiscal Year 2023: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
Fiscal Year 2022: ¥2,210,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥510,000)
Fiscal Year 2021: ¥14,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥11,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥3,330,000)
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| Keywords | Hydrocarbons / Stable isotopes / Isotopologue / Subsurface life / Isotopologues / Subsurface / Carbon cycle |
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| Outline of Research at the Start |
The subsurface harbors hydrocarbons that can be used and/or produced by microorganisms or by abiotic processes. It is still difficult to decipher these processes for two reasons: (i) the subsurface is not easy to access and (ii) the cycling of hydrocarbons is hard to understand using conventional analysis.
In this project we will take advantage of new methods to decipher the origin and fate of subsurface hydrocarbons. We will sample mud volcanoes, places where subsurface material is naturally expelled at the surface. This will be used as a window to the subsurface processes.
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
The goal of this project was to use newly developed isotope analyses to understand hydrocarbons cycling in the subsurface. While it is known microorganisms can play a role in producing and consuming hydrocarbons in the subsurface, a quantitative estimation of these processes is not always accessible. We sampled at two mud volcanoes with different characteristics: Tokamachi which is a sedimentary system, and Goshogake which is a hydrbrid magmatic/sedimentary system.
We sampled water, gases and mud to run chemical and isotope analysis, as well as culture experiments. Using isotope-based methods we were able to (i) shed light on new mechanisms and (ii) give quantitative estimates regarding the hydrocarbons cycling in the subsurface. Overall, the combination of novel isotope methods and unique geological settings allowed clarifying processes that otherwise would have remained obscure.
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| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
Hydrocarbons are important in several scientific areas, including climate and energy resources. In this project, we have identified and quantify hydrocarbons cycling processes in the subsurface, which will be of importance to understand the global budget of hydrocarbons in the Earth's atmosphere.
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