Garrett's 2009 NASA Poster Final
1
National Aeronautics and Space Administration www.nasa.gov Introduction & Theory Hydrogen in Rocks An Energy Source for Deep Microbial Communities Garrett J. Benjamin California State University Fresno Science Teacher and Researcher (STAR) Program Dr. Friedemann T. Freund Principle Investigator at the SETI Institute Senior Scientist at the NASA Ames Research Center It is believed, that the first organisms to inhabit earth were chemoautotrophs. That later evolved into both aerobic animal like organisms and photosynthetic plant like organisms. Chemoautotrophs generally use hydrogen as a primary energy source(Wheelies 2007). Though H2 can be produced when water reacts with fresh mineral surfaces and oxidizes iron. This reaction is unreliable since it depends upon the exposure of fresh rock surfaces and high temperatures. However, there is a more pervasive reaction that puts H2 into essentially every mineral grain in igneous or metamorphic rock (Freund, Dickinson, and Cash. 2002). This is possibly the answer to what was needed to sustain the hydrogen in these microbial communities. Our experiment wants to show how much Hydrogen is in these rocks. The science behind the project is of relevance to the early Earth and Mars. Giving us a mechanism for the oxidation of our atmosphere. It is also, important to Astrobiology through the availability of molecular H2 in the rock column. This is an energy source for microbes for the sustainability of life in underground environments. Methodology Abstract Results Conclusion Future work Acknowledgements References -Hydrogen Leak Detector H2000 -30-ton hydraulic press -Crushing chamber -Steel cylinders for press -DalTool 1020TS Tile Saw -Thirty 15-20 gram pieces of rock (gabbro, anorthosite, and granite) -H2 calibrating Gas -Labview 7.1 SETI Institute, NASA Ames, STAR Program, National Science Foundation California State University Fresno, J. Thomas Dickinson, Michele Cash, Pamela Harman, Bob Dahlgren, Gary Cry, and John Keller. H2 in minerals and rock is of wide importance to many different fields. The energy source for microbes in deep ocean biota. The origin of life with regards to abiogenic synthesis and their release to the surface environment through weathering of rocks. Concentration of peroxy in regards to earthquake prediction and for the global oxidation of the early Earth through the release of H2 O2 during weathering of the earths crust. This experiment expects to obtain information on the amount of hydrogen contained in the rock column and its availability to deep microbial communities. This will be done by measuring the rapid release of hydrogen after crushing rocks in vacuum using a hydrogen detector, sensitive over the 0.01- 50 molar ppm range. At the time of this publication there are no additional findings to report. So the following is from the research done by Dr. Friedemann Freund, J. Thomas Dickinson, and Michele Cash on the Hydrogen in Rocks: An Energy Source for Deep Microbial Communities that was published in ASTROBIOLOGY in 2002. The experimental results from 2002 indicate that H2 molecules can be derived from small amounts of H2O dissolved in minerals in the form of hydroxyl, OH-, or O3Si–OH, whenever such minerals crystallized in an H2O-laden environment. At least 70 nmol of H2/g diffused out of coarsely crushed andesite, equivalent at standard pressure and temperature to 5,000 cm 3 of H2/m 3 of rock. Wheelies, Mark. Principles of modern microbiology. Jones & Bartlett Publishers, 2007. 164-171 Freund, Friedemann., Dickinson, Thomas., and Cash, Michele. “Hydrogen in Rocks: An energy Source for Deep microbial Communities.” Astrobiology 2.1 (2002): 83-93. Freund, F., Staple, A., Gosling, P., and Belles, W. 9200) Weathering of rocks and inextricable path toward a bluedot. AGU 2000 Spring Meeting, Session M61-A-12. Available at: http//www.aug.org/meeting/sm00top.html Equipment The experiment involves crushing rocks to create fresh fractured surfaces where H2 can diffuse out. So rock needs to be cut down into pieces that will fit in the chamber to be crushed by the Hydraulic press. This experiment will be motored by the Labview 7.1. Every run will be repeated 15 times, with each lasting 7 minutes from start to finish. Figures left to right: 30 ton hydraulic press, steel press cylinders, crushing chamber, and tile saw. Hydrogen Leak Detector H2000 Figures left to right: Artist rendering of primordial earth and Earth. Figure 1: Crushing experiments with andesite, granite, and labradorite, using an epoxy crushing device. Upon crushing, at time t=0, H2 was released. Since each sample crushed differently the amounts of H2 released varied from run to run. H2 partial pressures that increased with time suggest slow H2 release from the sample. H2 partial pressures that decreased with time were due to leaky O-ring seals. Figure 3 shows results from crushing the rock samples. In all cases, the H2 concentrations in the crusher compartment increased instantly from the fracturing of the rock. The rock samples were irregular in shape and size and because they crushed differently in each run, the initial and final volumes in the crusher chamber could not be accurately determined. The H2 increased with time indicating continuing H2 release after the crushing. In some runs the integrity of the O-ring seal was compromised the H2 concentration decreased with time. Each crushing run produced powders with a large portion of fine pieces and a few remaining large pieces. Despite this, moderate differences in the amount of H2 released per gram of rock where found. At least 70 nmol of H2/g diffused out of coarsely crushed andesite, equivalent at standard pressure and temperature to 5,000 cm 3 of H2/m 3 of rock. The experiments indicate that the H2 concentration in the mineral grains is significantly high. Thus, we propose that the rock column contains comparatively large amounts of H2, formed inside nominally anhydrous minerals. This H2 would be available to sustain deep microbial communities.
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Transcript of Garrett's 2009 NASA Poster Final
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
www.nasa.gov
Introduction & Theory
Hydrogen in RocksAn Energy Source for Deep Microbial Communities
Garrett J. BenjaminCalifornia State University Fresno
Science Teacher and Researcher (STAR) ProgramDr. Friedemann T. Freund
Principle Investigator at the SETI Institute Senior Scientist at the NASA Ames Research Center
It is believed, that the first organisms to inhabit earth were chemoautotrophs. That later evolved into both aerobic animal like organisms and photosynthetic plant like organisms. Chemoautotrophs generally use hydrogen as a primary energy source(Wheelies 2007). Though H2 can be produced when water reacts with fresh mineral surfaces and oxidizes iron. This reaction is unreliable since it depends upon the exposure of fresh rock surfaces and high temperatures. However, there is a more pervasive reaction that puts H2 into essentially every mineral grain in igneous or metamorphic rock (Freund, Dickinson, and Cash. 2002). This is possibly the answer to what was needed to sustain the hydrogen in these microbial communities. Our experiment wants to show how much Hydrogen is in these rocks.
The science behind the project is of relevance to the early Earth and Mars. Giving us a mechanism for the oxidation of our atmosphere. It is also, important to Astrobiology through the availability of molecular H2 in the rock column. This is an energy source for microbes for the sustainability of life in underground environments.
Methodology
Abstract
Results
Conclusion
Future work
Acknowledgements
References
-Hydrogen Leak Detector H2000-30-ton hydraulic press-Crushing chamber-Steel cylinders for press-DalTool 1020TS Tile Saw-Thirty 15-20 gram pieces of rock (gabbro, anorthosite, and granite) -H2 calibrating Gas-Labview 7.1
SETI Institute, NASA Ames, STAR Program, National Science Foundation California State University Fresno, J. Thomas Dickinson, Michele Cash, Pamela Harman, Bob Dahlgren, Gary Cry, and John Keller.
H2 in minerals and rock is of wide importance to many different fields. The energy source for microbes in deep ocean biota. The origin of life with regards to abiogenic synthesis and their release to the surface environment through weathering of rocks. Concentration of peroxy in regards to earthquake prediction and for the global oxidation of the early Earth through the release of H2 O2 during weathering of the earths crust.
This experiment expects to obtain information on the amount of hydrogen contained in the rock column and its availability to deep microbial communities. This will be done by measuring the rapid release of hydrogen after crushing rocks in vacuum using a hydrogen detector, sensitive over the 0.01- 50 molar ppm range. At the time of this publication there are no additional findings to report. So the following is from the research done by Dr. Friedemann Freund, J. Thomas Dickinson, and Michele Cash on the Hydrogen in Rocks: An Energy Source for Deep Microbial Communities that was published in ASTROBIOLOGY in 2002. The experimental results from 2002 indicate that H2 molecules can be derived from small amounts of H2O dissolved in minerals in the form of hydroxyl, OH-, or O3Si–OH, whenever such minerals crystallized in an H2O-laden environment. At least 70 nmol of H2/g diffused out of coarsely crushed andesite, equivalent at standard pressure and temperature to 5,000 cm3 of H2/m3 of rock.
Wheelies, Mark. Principles of modern microbiology. Jones & Bartlett Publishers, 2007. 164-171 Freund, Friedemann., Dickinson, Thomas., and Cash, Michele. “Hydrogen in Rocks: An energy Source for Deep microbial Communities.” Astrobiology 2.1 (2002): 83-93. Freund, F., Staple, A., Gosling, P., and Belles, W. 9200) Weathering of rocks and inextricable path toward a bluedot. AGU 2000 Spring Meeting, Session M61-A-12. Available at: http//www.aug.org/meeting/sm00top.html
Equipment The experiment involves crushing rocks to create fresh fractured surfaces where H2 can diffuse out. So rock needs to be cut down into pieces that will fit in the chamber to be crushed by the Hydraulic press. This experiment will be motored by the Labview 7.1. Every run will be repeated 15 times, with each lasting 7 minutes from start to finish.
Figures left to right: 30 ton hydraulic press, steel press cylinders, crushing chamber, and tile saw.
Hydrogen Leak Detector H2000
Figures left to right: Artist rendering of primordial earth and Earth.
Figure 1: Crushing experiments with andesite, granite, and labradorite, using an epoxy crushing device. Upon crushing, at time t=0, H2 was released. Since each sample crushed differently the amounts of H2 released varied from run to run. H2 partial pressures that increased with time suggest slow H2 release from the sample. H2 partial pressures that decreased with time were due to leaky O-ring seals.
Figure 3 shows results from crushing the rock samples. In all cases, the H2 concentrations in the crusher compartment increased instantly from the fracturing of the rock. The rock samples were irregular in shape and size and because they crushed differently in each run, the initial and final volumes in the crusher chamber could not be accurately determined. The H2 increased with time indicating continuing H2 release after the crushing. In some runs the integrity of the O-ring seal was compromised the H2 concentration decreased with time. Each crushing run produced powders with a large portion of fine pieces and a few remaining large pieces. Despite this, moderate differences in the amount of H2 released per gram of rock where found. At least 70 nmol of H2/g diffused out of coarsely crushed andesite, equivalent at standard pressure and temperature to 5,000 cm3 of H2/m3 of rock.
The experiments indicate that the H2 concentration in the mineral grains is significantly high. Thus, we propose that the rock column contains comparatively large amounts of H2, formed inside nominally anhydrous minerals. This H2 would be available to sustain deep microbial communities.
