Hydrogen production from serpentinization of mantellic rocks : contribution of modeling to the understanding of physical and geochemical processes

Hydrothermal activity along the axis of mid-ocean ridges is a key driver for energy and matter transfer from the Earth's interior to the ocean floor. Numerous hydrothermal sites have been discovered, and some of them emit high quantities of hydrogen and methane. In this manuscript, the presented studies focus on the Rainbow site (36°N), situated on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge crest. The high hydrogen and methane concentrations ([H2]=16 mM kg-1and [CH4]=2,5 mM kg-1) of the hot fluids at this site have been interpreted as indicators of ongoing serpentinization processes. However, such high hydrogen and methane concentrations might be also produced by gabbroic alteration processes which could lead to a mineral assemblage such as chlorite + talc + magnetite + tremolite. These alteration processes are strongly dependent on the hydrothermal circulation characteristics and behaviours. In this study, we developed and used thermo-hydrogeological and geochemical numerical models, and their coupling, for characterization of hydrothermal circulation, and hydrogen production and transport, of the Rainbow vent site. We showed that hydrothermal circulation is conditioned by its 3D spatial configuration. This circulation is of small dimension (Ø > 2km), and should probably be organized by a preferential pathway of high permeability values. It has remained stable for several thousand years. We also showed that hydrogen was a product of serpentinization process that occurs far from the discharge zone. We estimated in situ kinetic coefficients, and the hydrogen mass currently produced each year. We showed the possibility of a long lifetime hydrogen production (>25000 yrs).