IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v9y2018i1d10.1038_s41467-018-07267-x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Thermochemical oxidation of methane induced by high-valence metal oxides in a sedimentary basin

Author

Listed:
  • Wen-Xuan Hu

    (Nanjing University)

  • Xun Kang

    (Nanjing University)

  • Jian Cao

    (Nanjing University)

  • Xiao-Lin Wang

    (Nanjing University)

  • Bin Fu

    (The Australian National University)

  • Hai-Guang Wu

    (Nanjing University)

Abstract

Thermochemical oxidation of methane (TOM) by high-valence metal oxides in geological systems and its potential role as a methane sink remain poorly understood. Here we present evidence of TOM induced by high-valence metal oxides in the Junggar Basin, located in northwestern China. During diagenesis, methane from deeper source strata is abiotically oxidized by high-valence Mn(Fe) oxides at 90 to 135 °C, releasing 13C-depleted CO2, soluble Mn2+ and Fe2+. Mn generally plays the dominant role compared to Fe, due to its lower Gibbs free energy increment during oxidation. Both CO2 and metal ions are then incorporated into authigenic calcites, which are characterized by extremely negative δ13C values (−70 to −22.5‰) and high Mn content (average MnO = 5 wt.%). We estimate that as much as 1224 Tg of methane could be oxidized in the study area. TOM is unfavorable for gas accumulation but may act as a major methane sink in the deep crustal carbon cycle.

Suggested Citation

  • Wen-Xuan Hu & Xun Kang & Jian Cao & Xiao-Lin Wang & Bin Fu & Hai-Guang Wu, 2018. "Thermochemical oxidation of methane induced by high-valence metal oxides in a sedimentary basin," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-11, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:9:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-018-07267-x
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07267-x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-07267-x
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-018-07267-x?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
    ---><---

    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:9:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-018-07267-x. 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.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using 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.