Guest essay by Martin Hovland, Geophysiscist and Professor Emeritus, Center for Geobiology, University of Bergen, Norway
The newly released satellite OCO2-data indicates that there is CO2 input in tectonically active oceanic areas. This becomes evident by pairing seafloor topography and tectonic data with the recently published OCO2-results. Thus, in the released OCO2 dataset, showing the average atmospheric concentration of CO2 over a period of about 6 weeks late in 2014, there are three curious, relatively week, but distinct CO2-hotspots over oceanic regions:
1) The Timor CO2-hotspot
2) the Fiji CO2-hotspot, and
3) the Emperor CO2-hotspot, see Fig. 1.
Using the Smithsonian Volcano database, it is seen that these CO2-hotspots occur above seafloor features which are suspected to issue CO2, CH4 and occasionally large amounts of heat (especially for FH and EH). Here, it can be seen that the TH occurs over a deep-water accretionary subduction wedge. This is a collision zone, where huge amounts of oceanic sediments pile up before they sink into and are swallowed up beneath the island masses to the north (Fig. 2). In such settings, it is well-known that continuous seepage of methane occurs out of the seafloor. Therefore, it is here speculated that the underwater and aerial oxidation of this excess methane gas provides the regional CO2-anomaly detected by OCO2.
The seafloor beneath the FH is also highly tectonized (Fig. 3), but in a completely different fashion to that of the TH. At Fiji, there are both colliding plates and rifting zones. The whole region is highly contorted and there are lots of seepage, both hot vents and cold, methane-dominated vents. Transmittal of methane and CO2 to the atmosphere is likely also here.
Because of the highly tectonized seafloor also underlying the Emperor CO2-hotspot, it is speculated that there is excess CO2 given off by the ocean also in this area. The effect of excess heat and gases seeping out of the seafloor hotspots, was illustrated already in 1988, in Fig. 10.4, by Hovland and Judd (in the book: “Seabed Pockmarks and Seepages: Impact on Geology, Biology and the Marine Environment”). A modified version of this conceptual idea is provided in Fig. 5.
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Shaken soda can syndrone?
Is CO2 evenly distributed by depth in varied oceanic environments, or can it be stratified and under pressure?
David Socrates (January 2, 2015 at 3:06 pm)
Fernado…..
How does Gold account for the bio-markers in petroleum ?
Specifically pristane, phytane, steranes, triterpanes and porphyrin.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Thats easy.
1) “One may read, in almost every textbook published in the English language purporting to deal with the subject of petroleum geology, diverse claims made that the presence of certain molecules found in natural petroleum constitute “evidence,” or even “proof,” that the petroleum evolved from biological matter. Such molecules, claimed as evidence of a biological connection, include such as porphyrins, isoprenoids, pristane, phytane, cholestane, terpines, and clorins. Closer investigations have proven such claims to be groundless. Pristane and phytane are simply branched alkanes of the isoprenoid class. Cholestane, C27H48, is a true, highly-reduced hydrocarbon, but is not to be confused with the oxidized, biotic, molecule cholesterol. Cholestane and cholesterol have similar geometric structures, and share similar carbon skeletons; there the similarity ends. Cholestane is a constituent of natural petroleum; cholesterol is not. Significantly, the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis produces isoprenoids, including phytane and pristine.” – J.F. Kenney
http://www.gasresources.net/disposal-bio-claims.htm/
2) hydrocarbons are a source of both energy & carbon for microbes that infest the planet from pole to pole (from the surface to the deepest holes we’ve drilled in the crust). So whenever you find hydrocarbons there’s a good chance you’ll find real, unambiguous “biological markers”. e.g.:
http://martinhovland.weebly.com/
☺
3) “Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, is a mysterious place. Its thick atmosphere is rich in organic compounds. Some of them would be [interpreted by the naive as] signs of life if they were on our planet.”
http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Cassini-Huygens/SEM696HHZTD_0.html
When you say “biological marker” you are just citing scripture: but it ain’t necessarily so.
That’s one of the problems with the chemistry of life. When you think you’ve got it sussed, it turns round and bites you in the butt. I’ve still got a lot to learn about life (almost given up), but it’s taught me a lot about chemistry.
Another biological marker of petroleum is that it shares with all organic matter the “left-handed” rotation of polarized light. Synthetic oils (as from coal) do not show this characteristic.
Have organisms ever been demonstrated to exist at, say, 5000 psi and 180°F? as in some petroleum reservoirs.
mpainter
Here is +180F.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v303/n5916/abs/303423a0.html
There can be little doubt that during the Cretaceous tectonic activity was contributing far more CO2 to both the atmosphere and the oceans than it is (at least until recently) today.
Where “tectonic” activity produces CO2 it also produces heat. When that happens subaqueously the enthalpy will also drive more CO2 out of the water. Tough to separate.
Honestly, what I see from the preliminary OCO is CO2 following the ITCZ. Over the oceans that brings vertical insolation and upwelling of cold nutrient and CO2 laden water by Ekman transport due to the trade winds. Until Ferdinand can convince me otherwise, I see no way to separate the biological from the Henry’s Law effects with the data at hand.
A possible control is over land where there is no upwelling, yet the respiratory effect seems amplified.
It must be remembered that the trade winds are always easterlies, and the seeming “tail” coming out of the Amazon in a westerly fashion is definitely not a wind effect from burning. It is a dogpile of warm water similar to the Pacific warm pool.
Sorry folks, but OCO2 is going out of business soon.
Its observations of reality do not match the prevailing dogma.
So don’t be surprised if OCO2 will be shut down in the very near future.
But, there’s an analogy up-thread that likens the CO2 effect during the pause to mashing the accelerator of a ’68 Austin Alegro and waiting for the car to go fast! /Sarc
Well, make that a ’74 – Crappy memory.
I remember pointing this out to one in the late sixties and being told to go and fix your FF ing washing machines or whatever FF ing engineers do and leave the clever stuff to us. Informally of course.
Many years later I got a similar response when I pointed out to one that their computer models failed an absolutely bottom end engineering requirement that all sources of the main variable were documented with certified accuracy data. This had to include biological and geological info where I could find none recorded at all.
For all the folks out there that buy into the CAGW religion, if anybody offers you candy to get in their car, don’t do it.