Relationship between crustal degassing and microbial mineralization in active mud volcanoes, hydrocarbon seeps, and other environments

• Project/Area Number: 21K03739
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 17050:Biogeosciences-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Snyder Glen 東京大学, 大気海洋研究所, 特任研究員 (90751777)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 柿崎 喜宏 東京大学, 大学院理学系研究科(理学部), 特任研究員 (20570633) ; 白石 史人 広島大学, 先進理工系科学研究科(理), 准教授 (30626908) ; 松本 良 明治大学, 研究・知財戦略機構(生田), 研究推進員(客員研究員) (40011762) ; 戸丸 仁 千葉大学, 大学院理学研究院, 准教授 (80588244) ; 高畑 直人 東京大学, 大気海洋研究所, 助教 (90345059) ; 伊地知 雄太 東京大学, 大学院理学系研究科(理学部), 特任研究員 (10911258)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2023)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,030,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥930,000); Fiscal Year 2023: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000); Fiscal Year 2022: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000); Fiscal Year 2021: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000)
• Keywords: methane / authigenic / carbonate / noble gas / stable isotope / Japan Sea / gas seep / methane oxidation / gas hydrate / cold seep / noble gas isotopes / helium / argon / stable isotopes / dolomite / calcite / authigenic carbonate / helium isotopes / protodolomite / EPS / microbial methane / thermogenic methane / Mud volcano / Methane / Dolomite / Noble gas / Stable Isotope

Outline of Research at the Start

Microdolomites are found in a variety of extreme environments. Research involving the relationship between crustal degassing and microbial mineralization on should tell us about the conditions leading to the development of these unusual mineral deposits, possibly even on other planets such as Mars.

Outline of Annual Research Achievements

This year we continued sampling and analyses of methane-derived authigenic carbonates (MDACs) and the seep water associated with them. For offshore Japan Sea samples, we used more archived samples. Sampling was also carried out on shore-based seeps from Mobara, in Chiba Prefecture. In addition to the previous years sampling, we employed methane sensors in the seep area to determine real-time methane concentrations and compare them with those of dissolved gas that was analyzed in the laboratory. The sampling allowed us to determine noble gas and stable carbon isotopes and to highlight the differences between gas seeps in Sea of Japan versus on the Pacific side. We also analyzed samples we had collected from seep sites in Tatar Strait 5 years ago, which provide an indicator of how seep compositions are site-specific .

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Overview: Distribution, Occurrence, and Origins of Methane Hydrates around the Japan Islands (2024)
  • Author(s): 松本良、蛭田明宏、大井剛志、柿崎喜宏、下野貴他、石田直人、サイディマッソウ、シュナイダグレン、戸丸仁、福田朱里、弘松峰男、大川史郎、柳本裕、棚橋学、角和善隆
  • Journal Title: Journal of Geography (Chigaku Zasshi) Volume: 133 Issue: 2 Pages: 63-89
  • DOI: 10.5026/jgeography.133.63
  • ISSN: 0022-135X, 1884-0884
  • Year and Date: 2024-04-25
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Ocean Dynamics and Methane Plume Activity in Tatar Strait, Far Eastern Federal District, Russia as Revealed by Seawater Chemistry, Hydroacoustics, and Noble Gas Isotopes (2022)
  • Author(s): Snyder, G.T., Yatsuk, A., Takahta, N., Shakirov, R., Tomaru, H., Tanaka, K., Obzhirov, A., Salomatin, A., Aoki, S., Khazanova, E., Maryina, E., Sano, Y, Matsumoto, R.
  • Journal Title: Frontiers in Earth Science Volume: 10 Pages: 1-21
  • DOI: 10.3389/feart.2023.1188142
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Geochemical distribution of helium, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane in Sakhalin Island mud volcanoes, hot springs, and cold seeps (2022)
  • Author(s): Syrbu, N.S., Snyder, G.T., Shakirov, R.B., Kholmogorov, A.O., Zharkov, R.V., Tsunogai, U.
  • Journal Title: Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research Volume: 431 Pages: 1-11
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.jvolgeores.2022.107667
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Hydrocarbon Gases in Seafloor Sediments of the Edge Shelf Zone of the East Siberian Sea and Adjacent Part of the Arctic Ocean (2022)
  • Author(s): Yatsuk, A., Gresov, A., G.T. Snyder
  • Journal Title: Frontiers in Earth Science Volume: 10 Pages: 1-19
  • DOI: 10.3389/feart.2022.856496
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Project COESS: Sensors and equipment used with the Fugro Environmental Landers for time-series scientific data acquisition near active seeps and vents.(Poster) (2024)
  • Author(s): Shinsuke Aoki, Hitoshi Tomaru, Satoko Owari, Ryo Matsumoto, Teresa Nakajima Escobar, Glen Snyder
  • Organizer: UN Ocean Decade for Sustainable Science annual conference, Barcelona, Spain
• [Presentation] [SGC37-06] Project COESS and the tracing of seafloor volatiles: An action plan for the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2023)
  • Author(s): Glen Snyder, Ryo Matsumoto, Hitoshi Tomaru, Fumito Shiraishi, Shiono Miki, Yuji Sano, Ma Teresa Nakajima
  • Organizer: Japan Geoscience Annual Meeting
  • Invited
• [Presentation] Hydrocarbon seep dynamics revealed by noble gas and stable isotope analysis of gas inclusions of authigenic carbonates: A comparison of samples from Tatar Strait, Russia; Joetsu Basin, Japan; and Brejo do Espinho, Brazil. (2022)
  • Author(s): Snyder, G., Takahata, N., Bowden, S.A., Zhang, N., Shakirov, R.B., Tomaru, H., Shiraishi, F., Sano, Y., Matsumoto, R.
  • Organizer: Japan Geoscience Union Meeting, 2022
  • Invited
• [Presentation] Characteristics of microdolomite associated with gas hydrate (2022)
  • Author(s): Shiraishi, F., Akimto, T., Tomioka, N., Takahashi, Y., Matsumoto, R., Snyder, G.
  • Organizer: Japan Geoscience Union Meeting, 2022
• [Remarks] Project COESS
  • URL: https://sites.google.com/view/coessproject/home
• [Remarks] From Cold Seeps to Hydrothermal Vents
  • URL: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/47648/from-cold-seeps-to-hydrothermal-vents-geology-chemistry-microbiology-and-ecology-in-marine-and-coastal-environments