Abiogenic

An estimate of the annual methane flux into the atmosphere can be calculated by adding the sinks and the annual increase. These data (Table II) indicate that a flux of 375-475 trillion tons(Tg) per year would be required to account for an annual increase of50-60 trillion tons (7). Estimates of sources of atmospheric methane indicate that up to 83% is biogenic in origin (5). The other abiogenic... 

Paracetamol-ratiopharm I Acetamol (Abiogen Panadol (Maggioni)... 

Vitamin-A-Saar Adisterolo (Abiogen Matema (Lederle)-comb. 

Horita and Berndt (1999) studied the abiogenic formation of methane under conditions present at hydrothermal vents. Solutions of bicarbonate (HCO3 ) were subjected to temperatures of 470-670 K and a pressure of 40 MPa. Under these conditions, CO2 was reduced only very slowly to methane. Addition of a nickel-iron alloy, which corresponds closely to the minerals in the Earth s crust, led to a clear increase in the reaction rate of methane synthesis. The following reaction is assumed to occur ... 

Sediments formed by the abiogenic precipitation of solutes from seawater are termed hydrogenous. Unequivocal examples of hydrogenous sediments are ones formed from the evaporation of seawater. The minerals deposited are collectively called evaporites and are the subject of Chapter 17. Others form with the assistance, to varying degrees, of marine microbes. For example, bacteria seem to play a role in the formation of Fe-Mn nodules and crusts. Some hydrogenous minerals, such as barite, celestite, glauconite, and francolite, are produced from the precipitation of elements... 

Although surfece waters are supersaturated with respect to calcium carbonate, abiogenic precipitation is imcommon, probably because of unfevorable kinetics. (The relatively rare formation of abiogenic calcite is discussed further in Chapter 18.) Marine organisms are able to overcome this kinetic barrier because they have enzymes that catalyze the precipitation reaction. Because fl declines with depth, organisms that deposit calcareous shells in deep waters, such as benthic foraminiferans, must expend more energy to create their hard parts as compared to surfece dwellers. 

The burial of BSi is the most important mechanism by which dissolved silicon is removed from the ocean. Most of the BSi is deposited by surfece-dwelling plankton whose actions collectively keep surface-water DSi concentrations very low (<5 p-M). Remineralization of sinking detrital BSi leads to vertical segregation of DSi as illustrated in Figure 10.1, with average deepwater concentrations around 100 pM. In the present-day ocean, abiogenic precipitation is important only in locations, such as pore waters and estuaries, where DSi concentrations are very high. 

Because warm surface seawater is usually supersaturated with respect to calcium carbonate, abiogenic precipitation of calcite and aragonite does occur, at least when supersaturations are very high. These conditions are limited to shallow water where temperatures can get sufficiently high, namely coastal tropical seas. 

These redox reactions are abiogenic, whereas the methane sinks are thought to be biogenic, such as the anaerobic oxidation of methane by archaea as observed at the Lost City vent fields (Figure 19.20). Microbial production of methane has also been observed at this site. 

Abiogenic Formed without the intervention or support of organisms. 

Oolite A hydrogenous precipitate commonly found in carbonate sediments of continental shelves located in the tropics. They are composed primarily of calcium carbonate and are thought to be an abiogenic precipitate formed from warm seawater supersaturated with respect to calcite and aragonite. 

Sherwood-Lollar et al. 1993,2002). In contrast to thermogenic hydrocarbons where higher hydrocarbons (ethane, propane, butane) are enriched in and D relative to methane, abiogenic alkanes may be depleted in C and D relative to methane. These depletion patterns relative to methane may be produced by polymerization reactions of methane precursors (Sherwood-Lollar et al. 2002). 

Horita J, Bemdt ME (1999) Abiogenic methane formation and isotope fractionation under hydrothermal conditions. Science 285 1055-1057... 

Kitchen NE, Valley JW (1995) Carbon isotope thermometry in marbles of the Adirondack Mountains, New York. J metamorphic Geol 13 577-594 Kiyosu Y, Krouse HR (1990) The role of organic acid in the abiogenic reduction of sulfate and the sulfur isotope effect. Geochem J 24 21-27... 

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