Serpentinites, Hydrogen, and Life

Research Article| April 01, 2013 Serpentinites, Hydrogen, and Life Thomas M. McCollom; Thomas M. McCollom 1CU Center for Astrobiology & Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space PhysicsCampus Box 600, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0600, USAE-mail: mccollom@lasp.colorado.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Jeffrey S. Seewald Jeffrey S. Seewald 2Dept. of Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceanographic InstitutionWoods Hole, MA 02543, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Elements (2013) 9 (2): 129–134. https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.9.2.129 Article history first online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Thomas M. McCollom, Jeffrey S. Seewald; Serpentinites, Hydrogen, and Life. Elements 2013;; 9 (2): 129–134. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.9.2.129 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyElements Search Advanced Search Abstract The process of serpentinization creates strongly reducing conditions and produces fluids that are highly enriched in molecular hydrogen and methane. Some microorganisms are able to exploit these compounds to gain metabolic energy and to generate biomass, leading to the development of biological communities based on chemical energy rather than photosynthesis. The abundance of chemical energy and favorable conditions for organic synthesis make serpentinites a strong candidate for the site of the origin of life on Earth, as well as a prime target in the search for life elsewhere in our Solar System. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.