Project description
Tracing methanogenesis through nickel isotopes
Earth’s carbon cycle has undergone significant perturbations over geological time, as evidenced by the positive isotopic excursions (CIEs) found in the carbonates of sedimentary records. These shifts in carbon isotope compositions have traditionally been linked to an increase in organic carbon burial within sediments. However, many sedimentary successions exhibiting CIEs lack high organic carbon content and show strong spatial and temporal variability, complicating this interpretation. Another hypothesis suggests the influence of methanogenesis, a biological process that produces methane (CH4) through the anaerobic degradation of organic matter. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the NTSITIMEH project will investigate the potential of nickel (Ni) isotopes as tracers of methanogenesis. Findings are expected to shed new light on the CH4 cycle and its impact on Earth's surface environments.
Objective
Over geological times, the evolution of carbon isotope compositions of carbonates (δ13Ccarb) in sedimentary record highlights many positive isotopic excursions (CIEs), reflecting significant perturbations of the carbon cycle in Earth surface environments. Although generally interpreted as a consequence of an increase of organic carbon burial in sediments, the lack of high organic carbon content, as well as the strong spatial and temporal variability, observed in many sedimentary successions recording CIEs challenge this postulate.
Among other alternative hypothesis involving regional or local control, the potential influence of methanogenesis, i.e. the biological process of anaerobic organic matter degradation producing methane (CH4), has been raised; its ability to generate similar isotopic signatures has been demonstrated in modern analogue. Although the processes behind CIEs are questioned, providing more information about methanogenesis impact is challenging based on traditional isotopic tool like δ13Ccarb, as its isotopic effect on is similar to that of organic carbon burial increase.
Recently, stable isotope compositions of metals used as enzymatic cofactors of CH4-related processes were investigated to explore their potential as biomarkers of methanogenesis. During the last decade, significant advances have been made on using Ni isotopes as tracers of methanogenesis but important challenges remain to better constrains both their potential and limit.
In order to improve our understanding of CH4 cycle and its impact on Earth’s surface environments through geological times, we will investigate further the potential of Ni isotopes and its potential couplings with traditional stable isotope in various modern settings and past environments to enhance our ability to track and discriminate the influence of CH4-related processes through Earth’s history.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- humanities history and archaeology history
- natural sciences chemical sciences inorganic chemistry inorganic compounds
- natural sciences chemical sciences organic chemistry aliphatic compounds
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Programme(s)
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01
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29280 Plouzane
France
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