Of Petroleum deposits 70% are Mesozoic in age. • 20% are Cenozoic in age. • 10% are Paleozoic in age. Paleozoic deposits are up to 500 million years old. My understanding is that while buried they're pretty stable, as long as they aren't too hot, heat cracks heavier hydrocarbons and this is why below a certain depth you don't get oil, only gas.
I wonder if Mars could have some other processes that earth doesn't,for example, a layer of C02 at the poles grows and shrinks every year. I could imagine some geological process trapping a layer of ice and CO2 ice mixed in with other materials and then applying huge pressure. Any plausible process by which this would make hydrocarbons of interest?
Is it likely that coal may be available on Mars? I don't have a use for coal on Mars of the top, but if it's there someone will surely find a use for it.
Dalhousie (or others), I've never heard an explanation for the origin of kerogen in meteorites. As I understand it, the composition is similar to terrestrial type 1 kerogen? Please correct me if I'm off. Links are very welcome!
Thanks Dalhousie. Do you (or others) know where organic material from meteorites would trend on a Van Krevelen diagram?Also, would meteorites rich in organic material hit a petroleum producing "oil window" and/or "gas window", similar to terrestrial kerogens if cooked to sufficient temperature?Also still curious about the origin of the "organic material" in meteorites.
The Russian geologists probably would say yes.
Quote from: Robotbeat on 01/18/2014 05:50 amThe Russian geologists probably would say yes. If you're talking about small hydrocarbons, including CH4, there are many more scientists who believe some of it was created abiotically through a geological process known as serpentinisation, where water reacts with minerals deep under the ocean, producing H2, CO2 and CH4. What's more, this process plays an important role in one of the main theories as to how life arose. JPL's Michael Russell has written fascinating scholarly articles on this, some of which are publicly available through Google Scholar. Google for Russell Nitschke hydrothermal and you'll find them.
Quote from: KelvinZero on 01/18/2014 10:36 pmI wonder if Mars could have some other processes that earth doesn't,for example, a layer of C02 at the poles grows and shrinks every year. I could imagine some geological process trapping a layer of ice and CO2 ice mixed in with other materials and then applying huge pressure. Any plausible process by which this would make hydrocarbons of interest?It's called Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, and occurs in low temperature hydrothermal systems in mafic and ultramafic rocks. It's one possible mechanism for the supposed methane plumes on Mars
Ha, we have an expert in the house!
The other leading theory is underground Martian cities and "Burrito Fridays"...