Stable isotopic evidence in support of active microbial methane cycling in low-temperature diffuse flow vents at 9°50’N East Pacific Rise

Abstract

A unique dataset from paired low- and high-temperature vents at 9°50’N East Pacific Rise provides insight into the microbiological activity in low-temperature diffuse fluids. The stable carbon isotopic composition of CH4 and CO2 in 9°50’N hydrothermal fluids indicates microbial methane production, perhaps coupled with microbial methane consumption. Diffuse fluids are depleted in 13C by ~10‰ in values of δ13C of CH4, and by ~0.55‰ in values of δ13C of CO2, relative to the values of the high-temperature source fluid (δ13C of CH4 = -20.1 ± 1.2‰, δ13C of CO2 = -4.08 ± 0.15‰). Mixing of seawater or thermogenic sources cannot account for the depletions in 13C of both CH4 and CO2 at diffuse vents relative to adjacent high-temperature vents. The substrate utilization and 13C fractionation associated with the microbiological processes of methanogenesis and methane oxidation can explain observed steady-state CH4 and CO2 concentrations and carbon isotopic compositions. A mass-isotope numerical box-model of these paired vent systems is consistent with the hypothesis that microbial methane cycling is active at diffuse vents at 9°50’N. The detectable 13C modification of fluid geochemistry by microbial metabolisms may provide a useful tool for detecting active methanogenesis.