Immiscible hydrocarbon fluids in the deep carbon cycle

Fang Huang (), Isabelle Daniel, Hervé Cardon, Gilles Montagnac and Dimitri A. Sverjensky
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Fang Huang: Johns Hopkins University
Isabelle Daniel: Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Ens de Lyon, CNRS, UMR 5276 Lab. de Géologie de Lyon
Hervé Cardon: Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Ens de Lyon, CNRS, UMR 5276 Lab. de Géologie de Lyon
Gilles Montagnac: Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Ens de Lyon, CNRS, UMR 5276 Lab. de Géologie de Lyon
Dimitri A. Sverjensky: Johns Hopkins University

Nature Communications, 2017, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract The cycling of carbon between Earth’s surface and interior governs the long-term habitability of the planet. But how carbon migrates in the deep Earth is not well understood. In particular, the potential role of hydrocarbon fluids in the deep carbon cycle has long been controversial. Here we show that immiscible isobutane forms in situ from partial transformation of aqueous sodium acetate at 300 °C and 2.4–3.5 GPa and that over a broader range of pressures and temperatures theoretical predictions indicate that high pressure strongly opposes decomposition of isobutane, which may possibly coexist in equilibrium with silicate mineral assemblages. These results complement recent experimental evidence for immiscible methane-rich fluids at 600–700 °C and 1.5–2.5 GPa and the discovery of methane-rich fluid inclusions in metasomatized ophicarbonates at peak metamorphic conditions. Consequently, a variety of immiscible hydrocarbon fluids might facilitate carbon transfer in the deep carbon cycle.

Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15798

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