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Methane with Abnormally High δ13C and δD Values from the Coastal Hot Springs in Lake Baikal

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Abstract

We studied the composition and isotopic characteristics (δ13C and δD) of hydrocarbon gases from the Kotelnikovsky, Zmeiny, and Goryachnisky hot springs located in the coastal zone of Lake Baikal. Of greatest interest is the Zmeiny Spring located on the eastern coast, where the methane has abnormally high values of δ13C (up to +11‰) and δD (up to +267‰). These values are related to the fractionation of carbon and hydrogen isotopes during the oxidation of microbial methane. The δ13C-C1 value (‒40.2‰) in the Goryachinsky Spring can formally indicate the thermogenic origin of methane. However, the modification of carbon isotope composition in this spring due to methane oxidation is more likely, because gas from the Goryachinsky Spring contains the microbial methane as admixture. Isotopic characteristics typical of microbial gases undistorted by secondary oxidation (δ13C-C1 = ‒61.5‰, δD-C1 = ‒230.2‰, δ13C-C2 = ‒56.6‰) are recorded in the Kotelnikovsky Spring northwest of Lake Baikal.

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Funding

This work was accomplished under the State Task of the Vinogradov Institute of Geochemistry, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences (program IX.127.1.2 , project no. 0350-2019-0004) in cooperation with the Limnological Institute, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences (project no. 0345-2019-0007); the Russian Science Foundation (project no. 18-17-00245, processing of results); and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (project no. 26 303 021).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Vinogradov Institute of Geochemistry, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 664033, Irkutsk, Russia

    G. V. Kalmychkov

  2. Kitami Institute of Technology, 090-8507, Kitami, Japan

    A. Hachikubo, H. Minami & S. Yamashita

  3. Geological Institute Russian Academy of Sciences, 119017, Moscow, Russia

    B. G. Pokrovsky

  4. Limnological Institute, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 664033, Irkutsk, Russia

    O. M. Khlystov

Authors
  1. G. V. Kalmychkov
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  2. A. Hachikubo
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  3. B. G. Pokrovsky
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  4. H. Minami
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  5. S. Yamashita
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  6. O. M. Khlystov
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Correspondence to G. V. Kalmychkov or B. G. Pokrovsky.

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Translated by D. Sakya

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Kalmychkov, G.V., Hachikubo, A., Pokrovsky, B.G. et al. Methane with Abnormally High δ13C and δD Values from the Coastal Hot Springs in Lake Baikal. Lithol Miner Resour 55, 439–444 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0024490220040033

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0024490220040033

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