Rock comminution as a source of hydrogen for subglacial ecosystems

ABSTRACT Substantial parts of the beds of glaciers, ice sheets and ice caps are at the pressure melting point1. The resulting water harbours diverse subglacial microbial ecosystems2,3

capable of affecting global biogeochemical cycles4,5. Such subglacial habitats may have acted as refugia during Neoproterozoic glaciations6. However, it is unclear how life in subglacial

environments could be supported during glaciations lasting millions of years because energy from overridden organic carbon would become increasingly depleted7,8. Here we investigate the

potential for abiogenic H2 produced during rock comminution to provide a continual source of energy to support subglacial life. We collected a range of silicate rocks representative of

subglacial environments in Greenland, Canada, Norway and Antarctica and crushed them with a sledgehammer and ball mill to varying surface areas. Under an inert atmosphere in the laboratory,

we added water, and measured H2 production with time. H2 was produced at 0 °C in all silicate–water experiments, probably through the reaction of water with mineral surface silica radicals

formed during rock comminution. H2 production increased with increasing temperature or decreasing silicate rock grain size. Sufficient H2 was produced to support previously measured rates of

methanogenesis under a Greenland glacier. We conclude that abiogenic H2 generation from glacial bedrock comminution could have supported life and biodiversity in subglacial refugia during

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our FAQs * Contact customer support SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS SUBGLACIAL EROSION HAS THE POTENTIAL TO SUSTAIN MICROBIAL PROCESSES IN SUBGLACIAL LAKE WHILLANS, ANTARCTICA Article

Open access 29 June 2021 NATURAL HYDROGEN RESOURCE ACCUMULATION IN THE CONTINENTAL CRUST Article 13 May 2025 MICROBIAL IRON CYCLING DURING PALSA HILLSLOPE COLLAPSE PROMOTES GREENHOUSE GAS

EMISSIONS BEFORE COMPLETE PERMAFROST THAW Article Open access 01 April 2022 CHANGE HISTORY * _ 29 OCTOBER 2015 In the print version of this Letter originally published, the published online

date was incorrectly stated as 21 September 2015; the correct published online date is 29 October 2015. This has been corrected in all online versions of the Letter. _ REFERENCES * Bell, R.

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Google Scholar  Download references ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors acknowledge financial support from an E.U. INTERACT Transnational Access grant (to J.T.), NASA Exobiology and Evolutionary

Biology programme (NNX10AT31G to M.L.S. and E.S.B.) and the NASA Astrobiology Institute (NNA15BB02A to E.S.B.). AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * School of Geographical Sciences,

University of Bristol, University Road, Bristol BS8 1SS, UK J. Telling, N. Bone, E. L. Jones, M. Tranter, J. L. Wadham & G. Lamarche-Gagnon * Department of Microbiology and Immunology,

Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717, USA E. S. Boyd * Interface Analysis Centre, School of Physics, University of Bristol, 121 St Michael’s Hill, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK J. W.

MacFarlane & P. G. Martin * Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717, USA M. L. Skidmore * Department of Biological Sciences, University of

Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 45221, USA T. L. Hamilton * Natural Resources Laboratory, Carl Zeiss Microscopy Ltd, 509 Coldhams Lane, Cambridge CB1 3JS, UK E. Hill * Hydrology Department,

Norwegian Water Resources & Energy Directorate, Glacier, Snow and Ice Section, N-0301 Oslo, Norway M. Jackson * British Antarctic Survey, Madingley Road, High Cross, Cambridge CB3 0ET,

UK D. A. Hodgson Authors * J. Telling View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * E. S. Boyd View author publications You can also search for this

author inPubMed Google Scholar * N. Bone View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * E. L. Jones View author publications You can also search for

this author inPubMed Google Scholar * M. Tranter View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * J. W. MacFarlane View author publications You can also

search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * P. G. Martin View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * J. L. Wadham View author publications

You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * G. Lamarche-Gagnon View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * M. L. Skidmore View

author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * T. L. Hamilton View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * E.

Hill View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar * M. Jackson View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar *

D. A. Hodgson View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed Google Scholar CONTRIBUTIONS J.T. conceived and designed the project. E.S.B. oversaw the microbiological

analyses. N.B., E.L.J., G.L.-G., P.G.M. and J.W.M. performed the experiments and geochemical analyses. T.L.H. performed the microbiological experiments and analyses. M.L.S., M.J., D.A.H.,

E.H. and J.L.W. contributed materials. E.H. assisted on fieldwork. J.T., E.S.B., N.B., M.T., J.L.W. and M.L.S. co-authored the paper. CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to J. Telling.

ETHICS DECLARATIONS COMPETING INTERESTS The authors declare no competing financial interests. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary Information (PDF 492 kb)

RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Telling, J., Boyd, E., Bone, N. _et al._ Rock comminution as a source of hydrogen for subglacial

ecosystems. _Nature Geosci_ 8, 851–855 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2533 Download citation * Received: 19 February 2015 * Accepted: 12 August 2015 * Published: 29 October 2015 * Issue

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