Geochemical Modeling of How Hydrothermal Water-Rock Reactions Support Near-Ridge Subsurface Microbial Ecosystems

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The primary goal of the research is to predict the extent and diversity of near-ridge subsurface microbial habitats by constructing thermodynamic and kinetic models of the geochemical interactions between rocks, fluids, and microorganisms in the hydrothermally influenced subseafloor. The geochemistry of ridge axis subseafloor environments will be modeled by calculating the full range of likely fluid compositions and available microbial energy. The work will build on the current state of the art in reaction path and reactive transport models by considering interactions between fluids, rock and microbes, involving a suite of likely crustal compositions, phase-separated fluids, conductivity-cooled fluids, and mixtures of these with seawater and conductively-heated seawater.