2012 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Hydrogen generation by earthquake faulting and its implication for sub-surface biosphere
| Project/Area Number |
22740334
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Field |
Geology
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| Research Institution | Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology |
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Principal Investigator |
HIROSE Takehiro 独立行政法人海洋研究開発機構, 高知コア研究所, 主任研究員 (40470124)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2010 – 2012
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| Keywords | 地震 / 断層 / 水素 / メタン菌 / 地下生命圏 |
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| Research Abstract |
High velocity friction experiments were performed aimed to verify whether faulting can generate abundant H2 to sustain subsurface chemolithoautotrophic microorganisms, such as methanogens. Our results show that H2 generation increases with frictional work (i.e., earthquake magnitude) and that a H2 concentration of more than few mmol/kg of fluid can be achieved in a fault zone after earthquakes of even small magnitudes. The estimated earthquake-derived H2 concentration is sufficiently high to sustain a H2-based subsurface lithoautotrophic microbial ecosystem.
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Research Products
(12 results)
