The Deep Carbon Observatory: Progress & Challenges

Transcript

1. The Deep Carbon Observatory: Progress & Challenges deepcarbon.net ausubel@rockefeller.edu Jesse H. Ausubel The Rockefeller University Alfred P. Sloan Foundation New York 5 February 2014
2. A 10-year global quest to discover the quantity, movements, origins, and forms of Earth’s deep carbon; to probe the secrets of volcanoes and diamonds, sources of gas and oil, and life’s deep limits and origins; and to report the known, unknown, and unknowable by 2019. The DCO aims to create legacies of instruments measuring at great depths, temperatures, and pressures; networks sensing fluxes of carbon-containing gases and fluids between the depths and the surface; open access databases about deep carbon; deep carbon researchers integrating geology, physics, chemistry, and biology; insights improving energy systems; and a public more engaged with deep carbon science. Mission
3. Why Carbon? • the element of life • source of most of our energy • leading role in climate change • leading role in natural hazards (earthquakes, volcanoes) • magic of gemstones
4. Why Deep Carbon? Ignorance of • quantities (size of reservoirs) • movements (fluxes) • origins (of hydrocarbons, life, diamonds) • forms (4,000 may exist) 2008 Workshop “Deep Carbon Cycle”
5. Three examples of exciting work A “big data” approach to all earthquakes & volcanic eruptions Liz Cottrell Diffuse emissions of methane over the USA Claudia Mora Tomography of a rock Wendy Mao
6. Short video by Dr. Liz Cottrell of Smithsonian Natural History Museum of all earthquakes and eruptions 1960‐2005 (made for $3,000) https://itunes.apple.com/us/itunes‐u/volcanoes‐with‐liz/id466857312
7. CO2 Earth degassing in Central Italy
8. Synchrotron radiation (photon) imaging of mineral at temperature & pressure of mantle shows iron spheres within olivine rock. Pressure: 6 GPa (~100 miles deep) Temp: 2073 K Can use to learn if mantle & core rocks hold carbon Source: Wendy Mao Rock tomography in a laser-heated diamond anvil cell - 11-second video
9. Overview of goals & early findings of 4 DCO Communities • Deep Life • Reservoirs and Fluxes • Deep Energy • Extreme Physics and Chemistry
10. Deep Life Goals Explore evolutionary and functional diversity of Earth’s deep biosphere and its interaction with the carbon cycle • Determine processes that define diversity and distribution of deep life, make new estimates • Determine environmental limits of life, seek origins • Determine interactions between deep life and carbon cycling
11. Cover article FEBRUARY 2012 VOL 5 NATURE GEOSCIENCE Bénédicte Ménez, Valerio Pasini & Daniele Brunelli Life in the Hydrated Suboceanic Mantle Finding from Deep Life Community
12. Aerobic Microbial Respiration in 86-Million- Year-Old Deep-Sea Red Clay 18 MAY 2012 VOL 336 SCIENCE Hans Ray, Jens Kallmeyer, Rishi Ram Adhikari, Robert Pockalny, Bo Barker Jorgensen & Steven D’Hondt Scientific Findings
13. 17 MAY 2012 THE WASHINGTON POST Ancient life, potentially millions of years old and barely alive, found beneath ocean floor Joel Achenbach Finding from Deep Life Community
14. Reservoirs and Fluxes Goals Identify principal deep carbon reservoirs, determine mechanisms & rates by which carbon moves among reservoirs, and assess total carbon budget of Earth • Establish continuous open-access monitoring of volcanic gas emissions • Determine distribution of carbon in Earth’s deep interior • Determine seafloor carbon budget and global rates of carbon input into subduction zones • Estimate net direction and magnitude of tectonic carbon fluxes from mantle and crust to atmosphere
15. 15 8/15/2014 Advancing technology for assessing quantities: Gamma ray spectroscopy log acquisition & interpretation Energy Counts Spectral acquisition Spectral stripping Closure Petrophysics Spectra, every depth level Elemental yields Elemental dry weights • Organic carbon • Mineralogy • Matrix density Inelastic Capture Si Ca Fe Mg S Al K Na Mn Ti Gd C Depth
16. Redox Heterogeneity in Mid-Ocean Ridge Basalts as a Function of Mantle Source Cover 14 JUNE 2013 VOL 340 SCIENCE Elizabeth Cottrell, Katherine A. Kelley Finding from Reservoirs & Fluxes Community
17. Graphite Formation by Carbonate Reduction During Subduction Cover JUNE 2013 VOL 6 NATURE GEOSCIENCE Matthieu Galvez, Olivier Beyssac, Isabelle Martinez, Karin Benzerara, Carine Chaduteau, Benjamin Malvoisin, Jaques Malavieille Finding from Reservoirs & Fluxes Community
18. Extreme Physics and Chemistry Goals Transform understanding of behavior of carbon at extreme conditions, as in deep interiors of Earth & other planets. • Inventory forms of carbon throughout interior • Achieve basic understanding of carbon in Earth’s core • Characterize physical & thermo- chemical properties of deep-Earth phases at relevant P-T conditions • Develop environmental chambers to access samples in new P-T regimes under controlled conditions & with increased sample volumes & enhanced analysis and recovery capabilities
19. MARCH 2013 VOL 110 PNAS Ding Pan, Leanardo Spanu, Bandon Harrison, Dimitri A. Sverjensky, and Giulia Galli Dielectric properties of water under extreme conditions and transport of carbonates in the deep Earth Scientific Findings Craig E. Manning Deep water gives up another secret Commentary on “Dielectric properties of water under extreme conditions and transport of carbonates in the deep Earth” (Pan et al, PNAS, 2013) Findings from Extreme P&C community
20. Water in the Deep Earth: The Dielectric Constant and the Solubilities of Quartz and Corundum to 60 kb and 1,200°C GEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTA 31 Dec 2013 Dimitri Sverjensky, Brandon Harrison, David Azzolini 60 kilobars pressure = 120 miles below the surface Finding from Extreme P&C community
21. Deep Energy Goals Quantify conditions and processes from molecular to global controlling volumes, rates of generation, and reactivity of organic compounds derived from carbon through geologic time • Conduct field investigations to determine processes controlling origin, rates of production, migration and transformation of abiotic gases and organic species in Earth’s crust and mantle • Develop techniques to resolve contributions of abiotic & biotic processes • Explore nature of organic molecule-mineral interfaces at crustal, upper mantle conditions • Determine nature & extent of abiotic reactions, leading to deep organic compounds & H2 synthesis (serpentinization) Methane lake on Titan
22. Aluminum Speeds up the Hydrothermal Alteration of Olivine OCTOBER 2013 VOL 98 AMERICAN MINERALOGIST Muriel Andreani, Isabelle Daniel, Marion Pollet-Villard Finding from Deep Energy community
23. MAY 2013 VOL 5 NATURE GEOSCIENCE L.E. Mayhew, E.T. Ellison, T.M. McCollom, T. P. Trainor & A.S. Templeton Hydrogen generation from low-temperature water–rock reactions Steven D’Hondt Geochemistry: Subsurface Sustenance Commentary on “Hydrogen generation from low- temperature water–rock reactions” (Mayhew et al, Nature Geoscience, 2013) Findings from Deep Energy community
24. Methane Provenance Etiope & Sherwood Lollar (2013) Emerging view on possibilities for abiotic and biotic methane (CH4 ) FTT = Fischer-Tropsch-Type
25. Why instruments matter: To find origins of methane
26. -500 -450 -400 -350 -300 -250 -200 -150 -100 -50 0 -65 -55 -45 -35 -25 -15 DCH4 (‰) DCH4 (‰) 13CCH4 (‰) 13CCH4 (‰) Thermogenic Microbial Isotopes & the origins of CH4 Mixing Mixing Deep Carbon Observatory Deep Carbon Observatory Abiogenic CH4 (experiments and field) Mantle Serpentinization E. Young, after B. Sherwood Lollar
27. High mass-resolution gas-source mass spectrometer Can distinguish rare isotopes, tiny differences Deep Carbon Observatory Deep Carbon Observatory Saw 1st light in December 2013 Installation at UCLA in June Supported by Sloan, Shell, DOE, NSF
28. Shuhei Ono, MIT with Aerodyne New Quantum Cascade Laser Tunable to rare methane isotopes
29. New instruments: A key to discovery Detecting the deep biosphere: An in-situ tool for the search for life Volcanic Carbon Atmospheric Flux Experiment (V-CAFÉ): Development of instrumentation for volcanic carbon flux monitoring Next generation sensors for monitoring volcanic carbon flux Adrian Jones, University College London Advanced synchrotron x-ray spectrometer for deep carbon High P-T device for experimental studies of hydrocarbons Modified gas chromatograph for experimental studies of hydrocarbons Katrina Edwards, University of Southern California Tobias Fischer, University of New Mexico Wendy Mao, Stanford University Vadim Brazhkin, Russian Academy of Sciences Vladimir Kutcherov, Swedish Royal Institute of Technology Sloan helped development > a dozen Instruments, most now operating
30. New instruments: A key to discovery (2) Combined Instrument for Molecular Imaging in Geochemistry (CMIG) Andrew Steele, Carnegie/Smithsonian Institution Novel large-volume diamond anvil cell Malcolm Guthrie, Carnegie Institution of Washington Development of ultrafast laser instrument for in situ measurements of thermodynamic properties of carbon-bearing fluids and crystalline materials Alexander Goncharov, Carnegie Institution of Washington Transporter for High-P and T Biological samples Isabelle Daniel, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1 DCO Computer Cluster Peter Fox, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
31. New instruments: A key to discovery DCO Computer Cluster • Installed at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, DCO Computer Cluster available to all DCO researchers • Linux cluster can run wide variety of scientific programs aimed at modeling chemical and physical processes in deep Earth and carrying out data analyses • PSSC Labs PowerWulf MMx Cluster with 640 Intel® Xeon® 2.4 GHz Compute Processor Cores and 544GB System Memory - 1GB Memory Per Compute Processor Core • 154TB of System Storage, a high-speed internal InfiniBand network, and a fast backup system
32. History 2007 May: Ausubel reads Robert Hazen’s book Genesis, hears Hazen lecture, impressed by clarity per research agenda for Deep Carbon Cycle July: Hazen (Carnegie Institution of Washington, CIW) submits to Sloan “Deep Carbon Cycle” scoping proposal 2008 May: Deep Carbon Cycle Workshop in Wash DC with 115 people from 12 countries, attended by Joskow, Ausubel July: Ausubel presents Deep Carbon Concept Paper at Sloan “Off‐site” strategy session Sept: Ausubel presents Deep Carbon Observatory White Paper to Sloan staff Dec: Trustees approve program concept at Board meeting 2009 Jan: Advisory Committee convened March: CIW submits invited Deep Carbon Observatory Trustee proposal June: Trustees approve CIW proposal after staff & external review July: DCO 10‐year program formally announced Sept: DCO Secretariat established Geophysical Lab, CIW 2010‐2011: 4 thematic Communities created to conduct program 2012 Data Science and Engagement teams created 2013 First “All Program” meeting at US NAS, open access baseline report published
33. DCO Structure Executive Committee Scientific Steering Committees • Deep Life • Reservoirs and Fluxes • Deep Energy • Extreme Physics and Chemistry Secretariat Data Science Team Engagement Team Robert Hazen & Rus Hemley, visionary founders, Carnegie Institution of Washington, HQ for Secretariat
34. Using Milestones and Risk Register 1) Participation (number of involved researchers, countries) 2) Proposals submitted & commitments (money, samples, ship- time, etc.) 3) Partnerships - with professional societies (eg AGU), private sector (eg Shell), educators/communicators (Smithsonian Natural History Museum) 4) Program management (decadal goals, Exec Comm mtgs & calls & prompt minutes, annual reporting, archiving) http://deepcarbon.net/group/dco-secretariat 5) Research outputs (protocols, observations, papers, talks, workshops) 6) Engagement (use of tools, bibliography, “people”, print media, traffic) 7) Data science (deposition of data, easy retrieval, etc.) 8) Results & outcomes (monitoring systems, DCO imitation, covers of journals, promotions, honors)
35. 2014-2015 Challenges 1) Avoiding sprawl 2) Keeping good international & program balance 3) Growing modeling activities 4) Launching visualization with key partners 5) Evaluation & Reporting -- 5-year review planned for June 2014, 3-person team with no prior involvement in program -- Introduction of synchronized reporting in August 2014 -- “Mid-term” program report ~December 2014 5) Improving physical sample strategy 6) Starting 2019 planning, integration 7) Starting to consider the “so what?” questions 8) Keeping eyes on legacies Will give examples of those in red
36. 2013 DCO International Workshops and Meetings Challenge: Keeping good international balance 40%‐50% of DCO meetings in USA
37. Challenge: Reporting
38. Challenge: Field studies & sampling within core repositories
39. Volume of US Data & Collections UNITS TOTAL # Core (ice) tubes 14,500 Core (rock/sediment)boxes 8,015,715 Cuttings boxes 10,402,000 Fossils specimens 122,935,000 Geochem’l analyses paper 1,750,000 Minerals/Rocks specimens 828,000 Other well records variety 2,045,000 Scout tickets variety 21,960,350 Seismic (2- & 3-D) miles & miles2 357,270,149 Thin sections slides 647,000 Velocity surveys paper & digital 87,500 Washed residues bags 180,000 Well logs variety 6,021,700 NRC, 2002 2002 NRC Report Make sure DCO uses good practice & existing samples
40. DCO Early Career Scientist Workshop Close to 40 participants from 14 countries Over 90 applicants from 24 countries San José, Costa Rica Legacy: Foster early careers
41. DCO Summer School Big Sky facility, Montana Fieldwork in Yellowstone National Park July 2014 Five-day residential graduate course Legacy: Foster early careers
42. Lessons so far 1) Archive from the outset 2) Build & share instruments in a timely way 3) Commit to open access 4) Use a Baseline Report early (‘the Known”) 5) Use unifying power of data science & management 6) Start “engagement” early, identity helps attract, build community; convenience matters 7) Use milestones & risk register 8) Value partnerships 9) Organize field work plans far in advance 10) Attend to synthesis (and modeling) in a timely way 11) Hold dedicated activities for early career people 12) Value Sloan’s internal & external review & advisory processes 13) Avoid (premature) policy, maintain careful relations with advocacy groups, industries
43. • Released 5 March 2013 • Open Access • 20 chapters • 700 pages • 51 co-authors from 11 countries Gave community early common goal & success • More than 500 news stories in 42 countries and 12 languages • More than 700,000 chapters have been downloaded Baseline Report: The Known & Unknown
44. Schematic of DCO.NET Challenge: Theory to underlie website design
45. 16 MAY 2013 VOL 497 NATURE G. Holland, B. Sherwood Lollar, L. Li, G. Lacrampe-Couloume, G.F. Slater & C.J. Ballentine Deep fracture fluids isolated in the crust since the Precambrian era “Oldest water” story goes wild with no DCO PR “Engagement” means being prepared for public interest DCO website had easy links to the authors, abstract, and images and was quickly supplemented when story went viral
46. Global press attention for “World’s Oldest Water” #4 in Fox News 10 best science stories of 2013 http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/12/31/10‐best‐science‐ stories‐2013/ Pride in making top science news, People want to be in something exciting
47. Photo credit Sloan Foundation Fuel Grants: 33 since 2007, total $25,540,000 Program development 1,160,000 Secretariat 7,250,000 Instruments 2,700,000 Deep Life 3,450,000 Reservoirs & Fluxes 3,000,000 Deep Energy 2,800,000 Extreme Physics & Chemistry 2,750,000 Data science 870,000 Engagement 929,000 Synthesis & modeling 466,000 Early career 160,000
48. Not least: It helps the work is exciting Field measurements on Mt. Etna, Sept 2013 Largest single geological source of CO2
49. A global quest of 1000 researchers from 40 nations
50. A 10-year global quest to discover the quantity, movements, origins, and forms of Earth’s deep carbon; to probe the secrets of volcanoes and diamonds, sources of gas and oil, and life’s deep limits and origins; and to report the known, unknown, and unknowable by 2019. The DCO aims to create legacies of instruments measuring at great depths, temperatures, and pressures; networks sensing fluxes of carbon-containing gases and fluids between the depths and the surface; open access databases about deep carbon; deep carbon researchers integrating geology, physics, chemistry, and biology; insights improving energy systems; and a public more engaged with deep carbon science. Mission