IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v13y2022i1d10.1038_s41467-022-33538-9.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Low 13C-13C abundances in abiotic ethane

Author

Listed:
  • Koudai Taguchi

    (Tokyo Institute of Technology)

  • Alexis Gilbert

    (Tokyo Institute of Technology
    Tokyo Institute of Technology)

  • Barbara Sherwood Lollar

    (University of Toronto
    Université Paris Cité)

  • Thomas Giunta

    (University of Toronto
    Univ Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, Geo-Ocean)

  • Christopher J. Boreham

    (Geoscience Australia)

  • Qi Liu

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Juske Horita

    (Texas Tech University)

  • Yuichiro Ueno

    (Tokyo Institute of Technology
    Tokyo Institute of Technology
    Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC))

Abstract

Distinguishing biotic compounds from abiotic ones is important in resource geology, biogeochemistry, and the search for life in the universe. Stable isotopes have traditionally been used to discriminate the origins of organic materials, with particular focus on hydrocarbons. However, despite extensive efforts, unequivocal distinction of abiotic hydrocarbons remains challenging. Recent development of clumped-isotope analysis provides more robust information because it is independent of the stable isotopic composition of the starting material. Here, we report data from a 13C-13C clumped-isotope analysis of ethane and demonstrate that the abiotically-synthesized ethane shows distinctively low 13C-13C abundances compared to thermogenic ethane. A collision frequency model predicts the observed low 13C-13C abundances (anti-clumping) in ethane produced from methyl radical recombination. In contrast, thermogenic ethane presumably exhibits near stochastic 13C-13C distribution inherited from the biological precursor, which undergoes C-C bond cleavage/recombination during metabolism. Further, we find an exceptionally high 13C-13C signature in ethane remaining after microbial oxidation. In summary, the approach distinguishes between thermogenic, microbially altered, and abiotic hydrocarbons. The 13C-13C signature can provide an important step forward for discrimination of the origin of organic molecules on Earth and in extra-terrestrial environments.

Suggested Citation

  • Koudai Taguchi & Alexis Gilbert & Barbara Sherwood Lollar & Thomas Giunta & Christopher J. Boreham & Qi Liu & Juske Horita & Yuichiro Ueno, 2022. "Low 13C-13C abundances in abiotic ethane," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-33538-9
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33538-9
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-33538-9
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-022-33538-9?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Song-Can Chen & Niculina Musat & Oliver J. Lechtenfeld & Heidrun Paschke & Matthias Schmidt & Nedal Said & Denny Popp & Federica Calabrese & Hryhoriy Stryhanyuk & Ulrike Jaekel & Yong-Guan Zhu & Saman, 2019. "Anaerobic oxidation of ethane by archaea from a marine hydrocarbon seep," Nature, Nature, vol. 568(7750), pages 108-111, April.
    2. B. Sherwood Lollar & T. D. Westgate & J. A. Ward & G. F. Slater & G. Lacrampe-Couloume, 2002. "Abiogenic formation of alkanes in the Earth's crust as a minor source for global hydrocarbon reservoirs," Nature, Nature, vol. 416(6880), pages 522-524, April.
    3. Stuart M. Marshall & Cole Mathis & Emma Carrick & Graham Keenan & Geoffrey J. T. Cooper & Heather Graham & Matthew Craven & Piotr S. Gromski & Douglas G. Moore & Sara. I. Walker & Leroy Cronin, 2021. "Identifying molecules as biosignatures with assembly theory and mass spectrometry," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-9, December.
    4. Olaf Kniemeyer & Florin Musat & Stefan M. Sievert & Katrin Knittel & Heinz Wilkes & Martin Blumenberg & Walter Michaelis & Arno Classen & Carsten Bolm & Samantha B. Joye & Friedrich Widdel, 2007. "Anaerobic oxidation of short-chain hydrocarbons by marine sulphate-reducing bacteria," Nature, Nature, vol. 449(7164), pages 898-901, October.
    5. G. Holland & B. Sherwood Lollar & L. Li & G. Lacrampe-Couloume & G. F. Slater & C. J. Ballentine, 2013. "Deep fracture fluids isolated in the crust since the Precambrian era," Nature, Nature, vol. 497(7449), pages 357-360, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tiantian Yu & Lin Fu & Yinzhao Wang & Yijing Dong & Yifan Chen & Gunter Wegener & Lei Cheng & Fengping Wang, 2024. "Thermophilic Hadarchaeota grow on long-chain alkanes in syntrophy with methanogens," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Mengxiong Wu & Jie Li & Andy O. Leu & Dirk V. Erler & Terra Stark & Gene W. Tyson & Zhiguo Yuan & Simon J. McIlroy & Jianhua Guo, 2022. "Anaerobic oxidation of propane coupled to nitrate reduction by a lineage within the class Symbiobacteriia," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    3. Xiyang Dong & Chuwen Zhang & Yongyi Peng & Hong-Xi Zhang & Ling-Dong Shi & Guangshan Wei & Casey R. J. Hubert & Yong Wang & Chris Greening, 2022. "Phylogenetically and catabolically diverse diazotrophs reside in deep-sea cold seep sediments," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, December.
    4. Devan M. Nisson & Clifford C. Walters & Martha L. Chacón-Patiño & Chad R. Weisbrod & Thomas L. Kieft & Barbara Sherwood Lollar & Oliver Warr & Julio Castillo & Scott M. Perl & Errol D. Cason & Barry M, 2023. "Radiolytically reworked Archean organic matter in a habitable deep ancient high-temperature brine," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-15, December.
    5. Dorothy Z. Oehler & Sherry L. Cady, 2014. "Biogenicity and Syngeneity of Organic Matter in Ancient Sedimentary Rocks: Recent Advances in the Search for Evidence of Past Life," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 5(2), pages 1-24, August.
    6. Srinivasan, Aditya & Srinivasan, Arvind & Goodman, Michael R. & Riceberg, Justin S. & Guise, Kevin G. & Shapiro, Matthew L., 2023. "Hippocampal and Medial Prefrontal Cortex Fractal Spiking Patterns Encode Episodes and Rules," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    7. Geoff A. Freeze & Emily Stein & Patrick V. Brady, 2019. "Post-Closure Performance Assessment for Deep Borehole Disposal of Cs/Sr Capsules," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-15, May.
    8. Geoff A. Freeze & Emily Stein & Patrick V. Brady & Carlos Lopez & David Sassani & Karl Travis & Fergus Gibb & John Beswick, 2019. "Deep Borehole Disposal Safety Case," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-21, June.
    9. O. Warr & C. J. Ballentine & T. C. Onstott & D. M. Nisson & T. L. Kieft & D. J. Hillegonds & B. Sherwood Lollar, 2022. "86Kr excess and other noble gases identify a billion-year-old radiogenically-enriched groundwater system," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    10. Akihiro Hachikubo & Katsunori Yanagawa & Hitoshi Tomaru & Hailong Lu & Ryo Matsumoto, 2015. "Molecular and Isotopic Composition of Volatiles in Gas Hydrates and in Sediment from the Joetsu Basin, Eastern Margin of the Japan Sea," Energies, MDPI, vol. 8(6), pages 1-20, May.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-33538-9. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.