Sprecher
Beschreibung
The aqueous alteration of ultramafic rocks, i.e. serpentinization, generates molecular hydrogen, a process of keen interest in origins of life research. While active submarine serpentinization systems like the Lost City hydrothermal vent field are often considered analogues for serpentinization systems on early Earth, significant differences in modern and ancient seawater chemistry and reactant rock compositions (komatiite vs. peridotite) suggest distinct reaction pathways, rates, and hydrogen formation potentials, as well as distinct chimney mineralogies. In this presentation, I will explore how compositional variations control hydrogen formation during serpentinization and discuss implications for reactions relevant to prebiotic chemistry on early Earth.
