RIDGE: Tipping Points in the Evolution of Submarine Hydrothermal Systems: Habitat Generation, Organic Transformation, and Rock Alteration

RIDGE：海底热液系统演化的临界点：栖息地生成、有机转化和岩石蚀变

• 批准号: 0937406
• 负责人: Everett Shock
• 金额: $ 52.19万
• 依托单位: Arizona State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-10-01 至 2013-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0937406&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RIDGE; Tipping; Points; Evolution; Submarine

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Microbial habitats in extreme environments and organic transformations at ridge-crest hydrothermal systems are receiving increased attention as the novel properties of microbes that live in these environments become increasingly important in terms of bioprospecting for natural products from which new drugs can be made. This research is theoretical in nature and designed to guide the discovery of such micro-organisms by calculating "tipping points" (i.e., temperature, pressure, and compositional conditions that trigger the most dramatic changes in mineral reactions and/or fluid evolution). The focus of the work is on known hydrothermal vent systems from the Ridge 2000 Integrated Study Sites where extensive hydrothermal vent fluid compositions and mineral data are present. Goals of the project are to use thermodynamic constraints and calculations to predict the supply of chemical energy to microbial communities that inhabit seafloor hydrothermal vents. It will also focus on adding estimates of hundreds of additional organic compounds to thermodynamic databases to allow more complete and realistic calculations of organic transformations and the abiotic synthesis of organic compounds. Calculations will examine the full compositional ranges of igneous basement rocks and sediments that exist in mid-ocean ridge settings. By focusing on locating and understanding tipping points, the proposed work departs from most previous theoretical work, and provides a new way of looking at the evolution of hydrothermal systems and identifying the best locations to sample for high temperature or other unique microbial life forms. Broader impacts of the work include student training, building infrastructure for science in terms of providing much needed thermodynamic data for organic compounds, and public outreach.

该奖项由2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助。极端环境中的微生物栖息地和脊顶热液系统的有机转化正受到越来越多的关注，因为生活在这些环境中的微生物的新特性在生物勘探天然产物方面变得越来越重要，从中可以制造新药。这项研究本质上是理论性的，旨在通过计算“临界点”（即，引发矿物反应和/或流体演化中最剧烈变化的温度、压力和组成条件）。 这项工作的重点是来自海脊2000综合研究场址的已知热液喷口系统，这些场址有大量热液喷口流体成分和矿物数据。 该项目的目标是利用热力学限制和计算来预测向栖息在海底热液喷口的微生物群落提供化学能。 它还将侧重于在热力学数据库中增加数百种其他有机化合物的估计数，以便更完整和更现实地计算有机化合物的有机转化和非生物合成。 计算将检查存在于洋中脊环境中的火成岩基底岩石和沉积物的全部成分范围。通过专注于定位和理解临界点，拟议的工作偏离了大多数以前的理论工作，并提供了一种新的方式来看待热液系统的演变，并确定高温或其他独特微生物生命形式的最佳采样位置。这项工作的更广泛的影响包括学生培训，在为有机化合物提供急需的热力学数据方面建立科学基础设施，以及公众宣传。