Deep Serpentinization, H2, and high-pressure abiotic CH4 (ERC Consolidator Grant DeepSeep)
The 5-year, EU-funded ERC Consolidator Grant DeepSeep aims at unraveling the genesis of high-pressure natural H2 and abiotic light hydrocarbons, most notably CH4, through the process of deep serpentinization at subduction zones. The project will explore the mechanisms through which deep seated mantle rocks react with high-pressure aqueous fluids to generate reduced fluid species such as H2 and CH4 and, ultimately, to assess their potential role as feeders of energy for the deep subsurface biosphere at convergent margins. This will be done by a combination of natural samples from various localities worldwide, numerical simulations, and laboratory experiments. The grant will fund several PhD and PostDoc positions, as well as a dedicated research laboratory.