High-pressure synthesis and storage of solid organic compounds in active subduction zones

Abstract

Recent thermodynamic and experimental studies have suggested that volatile organic compounds (e.g., methane, formate, and acetate) can be produced and stabilized in subduction zones, potentially playing an important role in the deep carbon cycle. However, field evidence for the high-pressure production and storage of solid organic compounds is missing. Here, we examine forearc serpentinite clasts recovered by drilling mud volcanoes above the Mariana subduction zone. Notable correlations between carbon and iron stable-isotope signatures and fluid-mobile element (B, As and Sb) concentrations provide evidence for the percolation of slab-derived CO 2 -rich aqueous fluids through the forearc mantle. The presence of carbonaceous matter rich in aliphatic moieties within high-temperature clasts (>350°C) demonstrates that molecular hydrogen production associated with forearc serpentinization is an efficient mechanism for the reduction and conversion of slab-derived CO 2 -rich fluids into solid organic compounds. These findings emphasize the need to consider the forearc mantle as an important reservoir of organic carbon on Earth.