The Deep Carbon Observatory:Progress & Challenges

deepcarbon.netausubel@rockefeller.edu

Jesse H. AusubelThe Rockefeller University

Alfred P. Sloan FoundationNew York

5 February 2014

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 sensingfluxes 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

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

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”

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

Short video by Dr. Liz Cottrellof Smithsonian Natural History Museumof all earthquakes and eruptions 1960‐2005  (made for $3,000)

https://itunes.apple.com/us/itunes‐u/volcanoes‐with‐liz/id466857312

CO2 Earth degassing in Central Italy

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 KCan use to learn ifmantle & core rocks hold carbon

Source: Wendy Mao

Rock tomography in a laser-heated diamond anvil cell - 11-second video

Overview of goals & early findings of 4 DCO Communities

• Deep Life

• Reservoirs and Fluxes

• Deep Energy

• Extreme Physics and Chemistry

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

Cover article FEBRUARY 2012 VOL 5NATURE GEOSCIENCE

Bénédicte Ménez, Valerio Pasini& Daniele Brunelli

Life in the Hydrated Suboceanic Mantle

Finding from Deep Life Community

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

17 MAY 2012 THE WASHINGTON POST

Ancient life, potentially millions of years old and barely alive, found beneath ocean floorJoel Achenbach

Finding from Deep Life Community

Reservoirs and Fluxes GoalsIdentify 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 andmagnitude of tectonic carbonfluxes from mantle and crust toatmosphere

158/15/2014

Advancing technology for assessing quantities:Gamma ray spectroscopy log acquisition & interpretation

Energy

Coun

ts

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 CDe

pth

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

Graphite Formation by Carbonate Reduction During Subduction

Cover JUNE 2013 VOL 6 NATURE GEOSCIENCE

Matthieu Galvez, Olivier Beyssac, Isabelle Martinez, Karin Benzerara, CarineChaduteau, Benjamin Malvoisin, JaquesMalavieille

Finding from Reservoirs & Fluxes Community

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 & withincreased sample volumes & enhancedanalysis and recovery capabilities

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 secretCommentary 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

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&Ccommunity

Deep Energy GoalsQuantify 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-mineralinterfaces at crustal, upper mantle conditions

• Determine nature & extent of abiotic reactions, leading to deep organic compounds & H2 synthesis (serpentinization)

Methane lake on Titan

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

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-temperaturewater–rock reactions

Steven D’Hondt

Geochemistry: Subsurface SustenanceCommentary on “Hydrogen generation from low-temperature water–rock reactions” (Mayhew et al, Nature Geoscience, 2013)

Findings from Deep Energycommunity

Methane Provenance

Etiope & Sherwood Lollar (2013)

Emerging view on possibilities forabiotic and biotic methane (CH4)

FTT = Fischer-Tropsch-Type

Why instruments matter: To find origins of methane

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0

-65 -55 -45 -35 -25 -15

DCH

4(‰

)D

CH4(‰

)

13CCH4 (‰)13CCH4 (‰)

Thermogenic

Microbial

Isotopes & the origins of CH4

MixingMixing

Deep Carbon ObservatoryDeep Carbon Observatory

Abiogenic CH4 (experiments and field)

Mantle

Serpentinization

E. Young, after B. Sherwood Lollar

High mass-resolution gas-source mass spectrometerCan distinguish rare isotopes, tiny differences

Deep Carbon ObservatoryDeep Carbon Observatory

Saw 1st light in December 2013Installation at UCLA in June

Supported by Sloan,Shell, DOE, NSF

Shuhei Ono, MIT with AerodyneNew Quantum Cascade LaserTunable to rare methane isotopes

New instruments: A key to discoveryDetecting 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 fluxAdrian 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

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

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

History 2007 May:  Ausubel reads Robert Hazen’s book Genesis, hears Hazen lecture, impressed 

by clarity per research agenda for Deep Carbon CycleJuly: 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” strategysession

Sept:  Ausubel presents Deep Carbon Observatory White Paper to Sloan staffDec:  Trustees approve program concept at Board meeting

2009  Jan:  Advisory Committee convenedMarch:  CIW submits invited Deep Carbon Observatory Trustee proposalJune: Trustees approve  CIW proposal after staff & external reviewJuly: DCO 10‐year program formally announcedSept:  DCO Secretariat established Geophysical Lab, CIW

2010‐2011: 4 thematic Communities created to conduct program2012 Data Science and Engagement teams created2013 First “All Program” meeting at US NAS, open access baseline report published

DCO StructureExecutive 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

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 (SmithsonianNatural 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)

2014-2015 Challenges

1) Avoiding sprawl2) Keeping good international & program balance3) Growing modeling activities4) Launching visualization with key partners5) Evaluation & Reporting

-- 5-year review planned for June 2014, 3-person teamwith no prior involvement in program

-- Introduction of synchronized reporting in August 2014-- “Mid-term” program report ~December 2014

5) Improving physical sample strategy6) Starting 2019 planning, integration7) Starting to consider the “so what?” questions8) Keeping eyes on legacies

Will give examples of those in red

2013 DCO International Workshops and Meetings

Challenge: Keeping  good international balance

40%‐50% of DCO meetings in USA

Challenge: Reporting

Challenge: Field studies & sampling within core repositories

Volume of US Data & CollectionsUNITS TOTAL #

Core (ice) tubes 14,500Core (rock/sediment)boxes 8,015,715Cuttings boxes 10,402,000Fossils specimens 122,935,000Geochem’l analyses paper 1,750,000Minerals/Rocks specimens 828,000Other well records variety 2,045,000Scout tickets variety 21,960,350Seismic (2- & 3-D) miles & miles2 357,270,149Thin sections slides 647,000Velocity surveys paper & digital 87,500Washed residues bags 180,000Well logs variety 6,021,700

NRC, 2002

2002 NRC Report

Make sure DCO uses good practice & existing samples

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

DCO Summer School

Big Sky facility, MontanaFieldwork in Yellowstone National Park

July 2014

Five-day residential graduate course

Legacy: Foster early careers 

Lessons so far

1) Archive from the outset2) Build & share instruments in a timely way3) Commit to open access4) Use a Baseline Report early (‘the Known”)5) Use unifying power of data science & management6) Start “engagement” early, identity helps attract, build

community; convenience matters7) Use milestones & risk register8) Value partnerships 9) Organize field work plans far in advance10) Attend to synthesis (and modeling) in a timely way11) Hold dedicated activities for early career people12) Value Sloan’s internal & external review & advisory

processes13) Avoid (premature) policy, maintain careful relations with

advocacy groups, industries

• 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

Schematic of DCO.NET

Challenge:  Theory to underlie website design 

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 preparedfor public interest

DCO website had easy links to theauthors, abstract, and images and was quickly supplemented when story went viral

Global press attention for “World’s Oldest Water”

#4 in Fox News 10 best science stories of 2013http://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

Photo credit

Sloan Foundation Fuel Grants: 33 since 2007, total $25,540,000

Program development 1,160,000Secretariat 7,250,000Instruments 2,700,000Deep Life 3,450,000Reservoirs & Fluxes 3,000,000Deep Energy 2,800,000Extreme Physics & Chemistry 2,750,000Data science 870,000Engagement 929,000Synthesis & modeling 466,000Early career 160,000

Not least: It helps the work is excitingField measurements on Mt. Etna, Sept 2013Largest single geological source of CO2

A global questof 1000researchers from 40 nations

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 sensingfluxes 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