Carbon and Nitrogen Cycles at the Subducting Slab and the Earth’s Mantle
Light elements, such a carbon, nitrogen are playing the important roles for the process of the formation and evolution in the Earth as well as hydrogen. The subduction zone is the only place where the materials transport from the surface to the deep mantle, and sedimentary organic matter is considered as one of the important reservoirs of the light elements at the subducting slab. We are trying to understand the behavior of sedimentary organic matter in subducting slab to the deep mantle by using high-pressure and high-temperature experiments. Aromatic compounds and aliphatic compounds are important components of sedimentary organic matter so that we are investigating chemical reactions of these organics under high pressures and high temperatures conditions in laboratory. And deeper part of the mantle, existence of reduced C-O-H-N fluids such as methane, hydrogen, hydrocarbons are suggested. We are interested in stability of the C-O-H-N fluids and reaction with silicate minerals in the subducting slab and the mantle conditions.
Chemical Reaction of Organic Materials at High Pressure
Chemical evolution to form building blocks of life from simple organic materials is important processes for the origin of life. We focus on the pressure as the driving force of the chemical reaction and investigating pressure-induced reaction of aromatic compounds and amino acids. Also, we are investigating crystal structure and intermolecular interaction of organic crystals under high pressure conditions.
Other researches
- Chemical Evolution of Organic Materials at interior of icy planets and satellites
- Phosphorus and the Origin of Life