Application form InterRidge Student and Postdoctoral Fellowship ...

Application formInterRidge Student and Postdoctoral Fellowship Program 2010DUE DATE: 31 MARCH 2010PLEASE EMAIL COMPLETED APPLICATION TO THE INTERRIDGE COORDINATOR(coordinator@interridge.org)CONTENTS:I. APPLICATION SUMMARYII. PROPOSALIII. CURRICULUM VITAEIV. BUDGETV. RECOMMENDATION LETTERSI. APPLICATION SUMMARYTitle of proposal:An experimental study for characterizing thermogenic methane at sediment-coveredhydrothermal systems.Applicant contact information:Name: Shinsuke KawagucciInstitution: Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science & Technology (JAMSTEC)Address: 2-15 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka 237-0061, JapanEmail: kawagucci@jamstec.go.jpTelephone: +81-46-867-9743Fax: +81-46-867-9645Please select: Postdoctoral researcherCurrent advisor(s) contact information:Name(s): Ken TakaiInstitution: Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science & Technology (JAMSTEC)Address: 2-15 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka 237-0061, JapanEmail: kent@jamstec.go.jpTelephone: +81-46-867-9677Fax: +81-46-867-9715Proposed sponsor(s) contact information (must be in a different country than theapplicant):Name(s): Jeffrey S. SeewaldInstitution: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI)Address: 266 Woods Hole Rd. MS# 04 Woods Hole, Ma. 02543Email: jseewald@whoi.eduTelephone: +1 508 289 2966Fax: +1 508 457 2164

Project period (maximum 2 years, May 2010 – April 2012):For 1 month in 2011.Total funds requested (US$; sum of Part IV of this application):US$5,000Would you like to be considered for an ISA Endowment Fund Fellowship?To check “Yes” below, you must meet one or both of the following criteria:Criterion (a)The student/postdoc applicant is from a developing country; orCriterion (b) The student/postdoc is NOT from a developing country but can demonstrate thatthe project will have direct benefits to the training of students, scientists, and/ortechnical programs of developing countries.Please contact the InterRidge Coordinator (coordinator@interridge.org) if you would like toconfirm that a country can be considered as “developing.”Please select: No:If “Yes,” please complete the following four items:(1) Complete and attach to your application:“ISA_Endowment_Fund_Proposal_Summary_2010.doc” (most likely, you will fill in thechecklist for Part B of this form).(2) Attach any additional CV’s as outlined in Part III of this application.(3) Include here a statement on the extent to which it is considered that individuals fromdeveloping countries will be able to participate in and benefit from the project:(4) Include here a statement on the extent to which the proposed activity is consistent withthe purposes and objectives of the ISA Endowment Fund (http://www.isa.org.jm/en/efund/):Optional information:What is your native language? : JapaneseList other languages in which you are fluent: English

II. PROPOSALPlease describe your proposed research project using sections (a) – (f) below (not to exceeda total of 3 pages, including figures and references):(a) Short summary (100 words maximum; please write this for a broad scientific audience –it will be posted to the IR website if the fellowship is awarded):The hydrothermally active ridge close to continents (Okinawa, JdFR, etc.) has sedimentson the seafloor. The sedimentation settings are often linked to fluid geochemistry (e.g. high CH 4content at sediment-covered sites). However, it has been poorly investigated how and where thefluid-sediment interaction occurs during hydrothermal fluid circulation. In order to elucidate thethermal fluid-sediment interactions under hydrothermal condition, sediment heating experimentswill be carried out in close collaboration with Dr. Seewald at WHOI. The results obtained fromthe experiments will provide the detail information about “thermogenic methane” characteristics,which will clearly differentiate between thermogenic and biogenic “sediment-derived”characteristics.(b) Background and objectives of the proposed research:A hydrothermally active area close to continents, including Okinawa Trough sites, MiddleValley, and Guaymas, has large amount of sediments on the seafloor resulted from riverine flowand high productivity at coastal sea surface. Presence of the sediment, especially sedimentaryorganic matter, is directly involved in geochemical characteristics of hydrothermal vent fluid,such as high CH 4 , NH 4 , Alkalinity, and so on [von Damm et al., 1985; Sakai et al. 1990; Cruseand Seewald, 2006]. Although the linkage between sediment setting and fluid geochemistry hasbeen identified, how and where the linkage occurs during hydrothermal fluid circulation is stillunsolved.To interpret the origin of sediment-derived methane is one of the most effective ways toinvestigate “how and where” the fluid-sediment interaction occurs, because methane can beproduced by thermal as well as biological processes associated with sedimentary organic matter.The origin of the excess methane at sediment-covered hydrothermal sites was explained bymethane production through thermal decomposition of sedimentary organic matter [Ishibashi etal., 1995]. Alternatively, microbial methanogenesis has also been mentioned as the possibleorigin of methane in vent fluids at sediment-covered hydrothermal systems [Pearson et al. 2005;Cruse and Seewald, 2006; Kawagucci et al. submitted]. However, relative contribution of theseprocesses has not been so far clarified due to uncertainties of current tracers to distinguish eachother. Therefore, it is extremely important to develop the useful tracers and confirm theusefulness of the current tracers to distinguish thermogenic from biogenic methane, which willclarify the relative contribution of thermal and biological processes to decompose sedimentaryorganic matter.The [δ 13 C]-[C 1 /C 2 ] map [e.g., Whiticar, 1999] is currently recognized as the best way toidentify the origin of the sedimentary environmental methane. However, typical thermogenicranges of both δ 13 C and C 1 /C 2 ratio (thermogenic area on the map) are problematic and should berevised due to following two reasons. First, since recent geomicrobiological knowledge indicatesa potential of microbial methanogenesis even in the elevated temperature range [Parkes et al.,2007; Takai et al., 2008], environmental methane previously considered as “thermogenic” could

e derived from biological processes. Second, previous experiments investigating hydrocarbonproduction at thermal decomposition of organic matter have been carried out at atmosphericconditions (under vacuum, argon, and so on) using artificial chemical substrates, but not underhigh hydraulic pressure using environmental samples. Obvisouly, water and co-existing mineralsin the sediment are important factors for thermal reaction of organic matter via controlling fO 2 .Threfore, the thermal experiments carried out previously [e.g., Galimov, 1988] might mislead thethermogenic area on the map.The objective of the proposed research project is to determine (refine) thermogeniccharacteristics of methane and relative molecules (H 2 , CO 2 , and hydrocarbons) by hydrothermalexperiments using seafloor sediment. Moreover, based on the thermogenic characteristicsdetermined by this project, novel and/or refined tracers for interpretations of the origin ofsediment-derived methane will be proposed.(c) Outline the approach (e.g., experimental design, observations, and/or modeling) andmethod(s):For the objectives mentioned above, an experiment handling thermal decomposition ofsedimentary organic matter under hydrothermal conditions (pressure, temperature, and naturalwater-sediment ratio) will be performed. The hydrothermal experiment is a direct way to figureout the characteristics of products through thermal reaction of sedimentary organic matter.A flexible-cell hydrothermal apparatus (Seewald et a., 1994) will be used for hydrothermalexperiment. Prior to heating the cell, sediment will be poisoned to avoid any biological activityand disturbed with helium bubbling to desorb physically attached gases on sediment surface.Stepwise heating (~50oC intervals by each 3days) up to 350oC (comparable with maximum fluidtemperature in the Okinawa Trough) and fluid sampling at each temperature phase will becarried out. Dissolved gases in sampled fluid will be extracted by fluid introduction into preevacuatedvials. Gas compositional (concentrations of CH 4 , H 2 , CO 2 , and hydrocarbons) andisotopic (δ 13 C-CH 4 , δ 13 C-C 2 H 6 , and δD-CH 4 ) properties will be determined using GC-FID andGC-IRMS.(d) Specify the duration and location of the research project, and the nature of thescientific cooperation (i.e., demonstrate the international dimension of the project):Proposed research projects will be done in WHOI, where the flexible-cell hydrothermalapparatus has been well established. The hydrothermal experiment (heating the sediment) willtake 20 days (~500 hours: Seewald et al. 1994) while gas analyses can be done along with theheating. In addition to the experiment, sample and apparatus preparation (~3 days) andinterpretation about observation datasets from sediment-covered hydrothermal systems (mydataset for Okinawa Trough sites while Dr. Seewald’s dataset for Middle Valley and Guaymassites) using the experimental result (~3 days) are also considered necessary. Together, thisproject will take approximately 1 month. There are two international dimensions in this project:international laboratory use and international data synthesis between US and Japan.

(e) Expected significance and impact of the results:The experimental results will reveal typical geochemical characteristics of the thermogeniccomposition, which contributes to divide the sediment-derived geochemical signatures intothermal and biological processes. These results will be of great importance in subsurfacemicrobiology as well as hydrogeology associated with hydrothermalism. For example, thepresence of sediment-derived biogenic methane in the high temperature hydrothermal fluid couldbe disclosed by distinguishing thermogenic methane from the sediment-derived methane. It alsoindicates a sediment-trophic methanogenic microbial ecosystem occurring at low-temperaturefluid recharge zone in addition to a vent-fluid-trophic ecosystem occurring at around fluid ventorifice. Furthermore, to elucidate the subsurface methane production rate at hydrothermalrecharge zones (by coring/drilling sample analyses) will enable to analyze the quantitativecomparison between the efflux of biogenic methane and the methane production rate, whichcould narrow down the spatial distribution of hydrothermal recharge zones that have not beenidentified thus far.(f) References:Cruse, A. M., and J. S. Seewald (2006), Geochemistry of low-molecular weight hydrocarbons in hydrothermal fluids fromMiddle Valley, northern Juan de Fuca Ridge, Geochimica Et Cosmochimica Acta, 70(8), 2073-2092.Galimov, E. M. (1988), Sources and Mechanisms of Formation of Gaseous Hydrocarbons in Sedimentary-Rocks, ChemicalGeology, 71(1-3), 77-95.Ishibashi, J., et al. (1995), Helium and Carbon Geochemistry of Hydrothermal Fluids from the Mid-Okinawa Trough Back-ArcBasin, Southwest of Japan, Chemical Geology, 123(1-4), 1-15.Kawagucci, S. H. Chiba, J. Ishibashi, T. Yamanaka, T. Toki, Y. Muramatsu, Y. Ueno, A. Makabe, K. Inoue, N. Yoshida, S.Nakagawa, T. Nunoura, K. Takai, N. Takahata, Y. Sano, T. Narita, G. Teranishi, H. Obata, and T. Gamo, Hydrothermalfluid geochemistry at the Iheya North field in the mid-Okinawa Trough, submitted to Geochemical Journal.Parkes, R. J., et al. (2007), Temperature activation of organic matter and minerals during burial has the potential to sustain thedeep biosphere over geological timescales, Organic Geochemistry, 38(6), 845-852.Pearson, A., et al. (2005), Bacterial incorporation of relict carbon in the hydrothermal environment of Guaymas Basin,Geochimica Et Cosmochimica Acta, 69(23), 5477-5486.Sakai, H., et al. (1990), Venting of Carbon-Dioxide Rich Fluid and Hydrate Formation in Mid-Okinawa Trough Backarc Basin,Science, 248(4959), 1093-1096.Schoell, M. (1988), Origins of Methane in the Earth - a Selection of Lectures from the Annual-Meeting of the Geological-Society-of-America, Phoeniz, Arizona, 26-29 October 1987 - Preface, Chemical Geology, 71(1-3), R7-R7.Seewald, J. S., et al. (1994), Variations in the Chemical and Stable-Isotope Composition of Carbon and Sulfur Species duringOrganic-Rich Sediment Alteration - an Experimental and Theoretical-Study of Hydrothermal Activity at Guaymas Basin,Gulf of California, Geochimica Et Cosmochimica Acta, 58(22), 5065-5082.Takai, K., et al. (2008), Cell proliferation at 122 degrees C and isotopically heavy CH4 production by a hyperthermophilicmethanogen under high-pressure cultivation, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States ofAmerica, 105(31), 10949-10954.VonDamm, K. L., et al. (1985), Chemistry of Submarine Hydrothermal Solutions at Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California,Geochimica Et Cosmochimica Acta, 49(11), 2221-2237.Whiticar, M. J. (1999), Carbon and hydrogen isotope systematics of bacterial formation and oxidation of methane, ChemicalGeology, 161(1-3), 291-314.

Please answer the following questions (g) – (k) with regard to your proposed project:(g) How does this project differ from, or enhance your current thesis (graduate student) orpostdoctoral research? Please note: The project can be either an addition to current work(by collection of new samples, additional methodology, etc.) or a separate project, but mustnot be an already funded part of the thesis or postdoctoral research. We expect many ofthe proposed projects to be a small part of a larger collaborative effort.This project will provide me the experimental techniques well established in WHOI, which I hasbeen never experienced.(h) Which InterRidge Working Group(s) is this research project most closely associatedwith? Our current Working Groups are listed at: http://www.interridge.org/WGlist.“Hydrothermal Energy and Ocean Carbon Cycles” is most closely associated with this project.(i) How does your proposed research further the mission of InterRidge to promoteinternational, collaborative, and interdisciplinary studies of oceanic spreading centers?The international sharing of domestic experimental techniques and observation datasets isessential for the proposed project. It will also promote future internationally collaborativeinterpretations on worlds’ sediment-covered hydrothermal sites.(j) How would this fellowship provide an opportunity that you are not likely to experienceotherwise?This fellowship provides substantial financial assistance as well as unique opportunities tocollaborate with WHOI to carry out a series of the hydrothermal experiments that will take atleast three weeks, while other grants usually provide only small funds to cover only a part offlight costs between Japan and US.(k) Describe how you expect this fellowship will have an impact on your career path.This fellowship will remove my barrier for English world, which is very important for my futurescientific career. Moreover, this fellowship will provide opportunities not only to learntechniques on hydrothermal experiments, but also to evolve myself as an excellentinterdisciplinary scientist.Suggested reviewers (2) for the proposal (may not be advisors or mentors of the applicant):Drs. Marvin Lilley (UW) and Jun-ichiro Ishibashi (Kyushu Univ.).

III. CURRICULUM VITAEPlease attach your current CV to the application as a separate document. For guidance inpreparing a CV, we suggest the following online references:- “The Basics of Science C.V.’s” in The Chronicle of Higher Education:http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2000/03/2000033102c.htm- “Tips for a Successful CV” in Science Careers:http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previous_issues/articles/2006_10_27/tips_for_a_successful_cvNote: For those applying to the ISA Endowment Fund, please also attach the CV’s for anyadditional developing country personnel who are proposed to benefit from assistance from theFund.IV. BUDGET- Please itemize the estimated costs for which you request assistance. The maximum allowed is$5000 US.We expect costs to include such items as travel to a sponsoring lab in a different country,lodging and living subsistence, shipping costs for equipment and samples from a researchcruise, and perhaps sample analyses.Fund will be used for travels between US and Japan (~$2000US) and living in US (~$3000US).- Please indicate any cost sharing by the sponsoring institution, e.g., providing a berth on a cruise,provision of office or laboratory space or materials, assistance with paying for sampleanalyses.All experimental equipment and laboratory consumables will be provided by the sponsor.- Please provide a brief (one-paragraph) justification of the requested funds.The requested fund is justified.V. RECOMMENDATION LETTERSPlease have your current advisor and proposed sponsor (listed in Part I) submit letters ofrecommendation to the InterRidge Coordinator (coordinator@interridge.org) by 31 March 2010.The letter from the advisor must certify that the project is a new addition to or a separate projectfrom the applicant's thesis or postdoctoral research.(Note: Fellowships supported by the ISA Endowment Fund will also require a final report fromthe applicant’s advisor.)I confirm the recommendations for the proposed project from both current advisor (KenTakai) and a host scientist (Jeff Seewald). They (will) submit recommendation letters directly toInterRidge Coordinator.

Shinsuke Kawagucci, Ph.D.Postdoctoral ResearcherPrecambrian Ecosystem Laboratory (PEL),Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)Personal Information:Passport Name:Citizenship:Date of birth:Work Address:E-mail:Shinsuke Kawaguchi (not “kawagucci”).Japan.March 30, 1982 (male).2-15 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka 237-0061, Japan.kawagucci@jamstec.go.jpCenters of Science:Hydrothermal fluid and plume observations (Okinawa, CIR, etc.).Deep-sea hydrothermal ecosystem (subsdeafloor chemotrophic metabolisms).Isotope-labeled incubation experiments (using both SI and RI).Gas Biogeochemistry (H 2 , CH 4 , CO, CO 2 , etc.).Stable Isotopes (δD-H 2 , Δ 17 O-CO 2 , δ 13 C-CH 4 , etc.).Analytical Chemistry (gas analyses with high sensitivity).Employment:2009/4-currentPostdoctoral Researcher at JAMSTEC for a TAIGA project, Japan.2006/4-2009/3Fellowships for Young Scientists from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science(JSPS).Academic Degrees:Ph.D. in Graduate School of Agricultural and life sciences (Ocean Research Institute), theUniversity of Tokyo, Japan, 2006-2009.Masters in Graduate school of science, Hokkaido University, Japan, 2004-2006.BA in Faculty of science, Hokkaido University, Japan, 2000-2004.Academic advisors:Ken Takai (postdoc), Geomicrobiology in hydrothermal ecosystems.Toshitaka Gamo (DC), Marine Chemistry including hydrothermal systems.Urumu Tsunogai (MC), Analytical Chemistry using GC-IRMS.Honors/Awards/Grants:The Dean Award for Academic Excellence, Graduate School of Agricultural and lifesciences, the University of Tokyo, 2009.Poster Presentation Prize, 3rd International Symposium on Isotopomers, UCSD, 2006.Sasakawa scientific research grant from the Japan science society, JPY560,000, 2010

Travel Grant, Japan Marine Science Fundation, JPY100,000, 2009.Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Fellows (No. 18.4415), JPY2,800,000, 2006-2009.The Torii Endowment from Geochemical Society Japan, JPY100,000, 2005.Grant for international exchanges from Hokkaido University, JPY150,000, 2005.Peer-reviewed Publications:Kawagucci, S. H. Chiba, J. Ishibashi, T. Yamanaka, T. Toki, Y. Muramatsu, Y. Ueno, A.Makabe, K. Inoue, N. Yoshida, S. Nakagawa, T. Nunoura, K. Takai, N. Takahata, Y.Sano, T. Narita, G. Teranishi, H. Obata, and T. Gamo, Hydrothermal fluid geochemistryat the Iheya North field in the mid-Okinawa Trough, submitted to Geochemical Journal.Kawagucci, S., K. Shirai, T.F. Lan, N. Takahata, U. Tsunogai, Y. Sano, and T. Gamo, Gasgeochemical characteristics of hydrothermal plumes at the HAKUREI and JADE ventsites, the Izena Cauldron, Okinawa Trough, submitted to Geochemical Journal.Kawagucci, S., T. Toki, J. Ishibashi, K. Takai, M. Ito, T. Oomori, and T. Gamo, Isotopicvariation of molecular hydrogen in various temperatures of hydrothermal fluids detectedby a new analytical method, submitted to Journal of Geophysical Research -Biogeoscience.Kawagucci, S., K. Okamura, K. Kiyota, U. Tsunogai, Y. Sano, K. Tamaki, and T. Gamo,Geochemical characterization of newly discovered hydrothermal methane plumes over theCentral Indian Ridge, 18 o -20 o S, Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems, 9, Q10002,doi:10.1029/2008GC002082, 2008.Kumagai, H., K. Nakamura, T. Toki, T. Morishita, K. Okino, J. Ishibashi, U. Tsunogai, S.Kawagucci, T. Gamo, T. Shibuya, T. Sawaguchi, N. Neo, M. Joshima, T. Sato, and KenTakai, Geological background of the Kairei and Edmond hydrothermal fields along theCentral Indian Ridge: Implications of their vent fluids' distinct chemistry, Geofluid, 8,239-251, doi:10.1111/j.1468-8123.2008.00223.x, 2008.Takai, K., T. Nunoura, J. Ishibashi, J. Lupton, R. Suzuki, H. Hamasaki, Y. Ueno, S.Kawagucci, T. Gamo, Y. Suzuki, H. Hirayama, and K. Horikoshi, Variability in themicrobial communities and hydrothermal fluid chemistry at the newly-discovered Marinerhydrothermal field, southern Lau Basin, Journal of Geophysical Research -Biogeoscience, 113, G02031, doi:10.1029/2007JG000636, 2008.Kawagucci, S., U. Tsunogai, S. Kudo, F. Nakagawa, H.Honda, S.Aoki, T.Nakazawa, M.Tsutsumi, and T.Gamo, Long-term observation of mass-independent oxygen isotopeanomaly in stratospheric CO 2 , Atmos. Chem. Phys., 8, 6189-6197, 2008.Kawagucci, S., U. Tsunogai, S. Kudo, F. Nakagawa, H.Honda, S.Aoki, T.Nakazawa, andT.Gamo, A novel analytical system for determining δ 17 O in CO 2 using CF-IRMS,Analytical Chemistry, 77, 4509-4514, doi:10.1021/ac050266u, 2005.Other science and non-science careers:Participant in 15 ocean-going research expeditions that involved surface ocean andseafloor objectives utilizing CTD-Niskin samplers, manned and/or unmannedsubmersibles, AUV, piston and multiple corers, and air sampler.Manuscript reviews for Geochemical Journal and Rapid Communications in MassSpectrometry.Chief of the scientific and organizing committee members, Young members symposium

of Geochemical Society of Japan (2005).Chief of the organizing committee members, Intercollegiate competition of Swimming inHokkaido area (2002).Black Belt in JUDO (1998).Member of soccer-football teams at Ocean Research Institute, the Univ. of Tokyo(2006/04-2009/03) and JAMSTEC (2009/04-current).

Independent Administrative InstitutionJapan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and TechnologyYokosuka headquarters2-15 Natsushima-Cho, Yokosuka-city, Kanagawa, Japan 237-0061Tel.: +81-46-867-9677 Fax: +81-46-867-9715InterRidge CoordinatorNational Oceanography Centre, SouthamptonEuropean WaySouthamptonSO14 3ZHUKTo whom correspondingMarch 24, 2010It is my great honor to recommend Dr. Shinsuke Kawagucci for InterRidge Student and PostdoctoralFellowship Program 2010. First of all, I affirm that Dr. Shinsuke Kawagucci deserves an excellent candidate.[Present research of Dr. Kawagucci and relationship between his proposal and present study]I am now working with Dr. Kawagucci for a research project on biogeochemical interaction in physical,chemical and hydrogeologic variation of subseafloor hydrothermal fluid processes. He has got his Ph. D. inOceanographic Research Institute (ORI) in the University Tokyo under a direction of Professor ToshitakaGamo (ocean geochemist). During his Ph. D. thesis, he has started the isotopic characterization of gascomponents in the deep-sea hydrothermal fluids and we have collaborated with geochemical and microbialimpacts on hydrogen-isotopic composition of H 2 in the hydrothermal fluids. In the collaboration, he has shownto me his excellent ability to learn about knowledge and technique in different fields of sciences and to havemultidisciplinary sense of science. I have been very much impressed at his talents and potentials during ourcollaboration and have proposed a post-doctoral position in JAMSTEC to him. In his present study, he focuseson characterization of microbial functions in deep seafloor and subseafloor H 2 consumption and generation,particularly hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis, acetogenesis, sulfate-reduction, sulfur-reduction, iron-reduction,nitrate (O 2 )-reduction and organics-fermentation, with respect to the kinetics and the isotopic equilibration andfractionation. He addresses this objective in terms of the field-observation and –measurement, and thelaboratory-experiment. This study will provide a great insight into understanding the potential microbiologicalcontrol of the hydrothermal fluid chemistry and chemical fluxes. However, in this opportunity of InterRidgeStudent and Postdoctoral Fellowship Program 2010, he is going to challenge another aspect to control thehydrothermal fluid chemistry and chemical fluxes in the sediments-associated hydrothermal systems. He seeksto estimate the geochemical interaction between the sediments and the hydrothermal fluids to affect the gascomposition and isotopic characteristics. Surely, his proposed objective is strongly linked with his presentstudy but apparently give a great extension to his present study. As written in his proposal, he is willing towork with Prof. Dr. Jeffery Seewald, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI), for the experimentalcharacterization of thermogenic H 2 and CH 4 under the simulated laboratory conditions. This kind of study wasindeed led by Dr. Jeffery Seewald in 1990s. Thus, Dr. Jeffery Seewald is the best person in the world for him tolearn the laboratory geochemical experiments and Dr. Jeffery Seewald’s lab is the best place for him to work.To learn the essence of the experiments is quite hard in JAMSTEC. I believe that his proposal perfectlymatches the purpose of InterRidge Student and Postdoctoral Fellowship Program 2010.[Strength and weakness of his ability]He has been trained in ocean geochemistry laboratory in his Ph. D. thesis. Thus, he has already acquiredgeneral geochemical techniques of measurement of major elements, ions and gas species. In addition, he is

familiar with various techniques using isotope ratio mass spectroscopy. He has already published severalpapers related with developments of new analytic methods and measurements of natural hydrothermal fluidsamples. These create his strong scientific strength. In his present research, he has learned lots ofmicrobiological techniques such as tracer experiments and cultivations of different chemolithotrophicmicroorganisms. Thus, I am able to promise that he is becoming very few persons of true multi-disciplines inthe world. Meanwhile, I can point out that his weakness is lack of international presence and vision. In fact, Istrongly hope that this InterRidge Student and Postdoctoral Fellowship Program 2010 will be a great chancefor him to overcome his weakness and to grow up as a more promising research scientist in the related fields.[His personality]He is very cheerful and friendly with any types of peoples. He is also one of the most active young scientists inthe Japanese geochemistry society. He has already served as a representative of young generation in theJapanese Geochemistry Society and promoted many symposia and workshops for young generation. Hisleadership is prominent and he is now the youngest committee of the Japanese Geochemistry Society. Not onlyhis establishment in the Japanese geochemistry society but also his adaptation ability to the new science fieldsis excellent. He has joined many domestic and international conferences of geological and microbiologicalsocieties and has generated diverse connections with persons of different backgrounds. I am very confident thathis personality will be very welcomed in Dr. Jeffery Seewald’s lab and the American society. I am also veryconfident that the host lab, society and country will have benefits from his great personality.Based on the reasons mentioned above, I affirm again that Dr. Shinsuke Kawagucci deserves the highestrecommendation for InterRidge Student and Postdoctoral Fellowship Program 2010.Sincerely yours,Ken Takai, Ph.D.Program Director & Laboratory LeaderSubsurface Geobiology Advanced Research (SUGAR) Project&Precambrian Ecosystem Laboratory (PEL)Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science & Technology (JAMSTEC),2-15 Natsushima-cho,Yokosuka 237-0061, JAPANPhone: +81-46-867-9677Fax: +81-46-867-9715E-mail: kent@jamstec.go.jp

Dr. Jeffrey S. Seewald, Senior Scientist, Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry DepartmentApril 1, 2010Dr. Debbie MiltonInterRidge CoordinatorNational Oceanography Centre, SouthamptonEuropean WaySouthamptonSO14 3ZHUKDear Dr. Milton:I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for Dr. Shinsuke Kawagucci application for an InterRidgePostdoctoral Fellowship. I would welcome the opportunity to collaborate with Dr. Kawagucci during amonth long visit to my lab at WHOI. The project he proposes will constrain the origin of methane insediment-covered hydrothermal systems. In particular, the experiments will not only provide informationon formation mechanisms, but will also place the generation of methane in a spatial and temporal contextduring the convective circulation of hydrothermal fluids through the oceanic lithosphere. These topicsrepresent important, but poorly understood, aspects of ridge-crest hydrothermal research.All of the experimental and analytical equipment necessary for this study are available in my laboratory atWHOI. This includes four sets of flexible-cell hydrothermal apparatus, numerous gas and ionchromatographs for characterization of alteration products, and a GC-IRMS system for carbon andhydrogen isotopic measurements. I am happy to provide the necessary training for Dr. Kawagucci toconduct these experiments and the necessary supplies. The one month time frame allocated to completethis work is reasonable for the type of experiment described in the research proposal. I stronglyrecommend that you give Dr. Kawagucci’s application serious consideration. It represents an excellentcollaboration between US and Japanese scientists.Sincerely,Jeff SeewaldMS#4 • Woods Hole, MA 02543 • 508.289.2966 • Fax 508.457.2164• jseewald@whoi.edu

InterRidge!Student!and!Postdoctoral!Fellowship!Program!2010!Title:!An!Experimental!Study!for!characterizing!thermogenic!methane!at!sediment"covered!hydrothermal!systems!Applicant:!!Shinsuke!Kawagucci!!1.!!Scientific!Merit!and!Quality!The!proposed!research!is!to!conduct!hydrothermal!experiments!on!seafloor!sediments!in!order!to!delineate!the!boundary!between!“thermogenic”!and!“biogenic”!methane.!!Plots!of!the!isotopic!composition!of!methane!versus!the!C1/C2!or!C1/(C2+C3)!ratio!are!often!used!to!fingerprint!methane!sources!as!biogenic!or!thermogenic!if!they!fall!within!characteristic!ranges.!!Gases!with!compositions!falling!between!these!ranges!are!often!interpreted!as!representing!a!mixture!between!these!two!endmembers.!!However,!as!pointed!out!by!Kawagucci,!it!is!only!recently!that!the!possibility!of!biogenic!methanogenesis!occurring!at!elevated!temperatures!has!been!indicated.!!Thus,!the!assumption!that!methane!found!in!vent!fluids!that!interact!with!sediments!must,!of!course,!contain!some!portion!of!thermogenic!methane!may!be!flawed.!!However,!without!an!investigation!of!the!methane!that!can!be!generated!from!sediments!during!interaction!with!hydrothermal!fluid,!the!community!will!have!no!way!of!knowing.!!!Kawagucci’s!experiments!will!be!conducted!on!poisoned!sediments!which!have!been!bubbled!with!helium!to!remove!any!sorbed!gases.!!The!hydrothermal!experimental!techniques!to!be!used!are!proven!technology,!so!that!there!is!a!very!high!rate!of!success.!!I!think!that!these!experiments!will!fill!critical!data!gaps!in!our!knowledge!about!the!generation!of!sedimentary!methane.!!This!approach!is!elegant!in!its!simplicity—so!much!so,!that!I!find!myself!wondering!“why!didn’t!I!think!of!that”?!!In!addition,!once!the!thermogenic!field!is!better!constrained,!these!chemical!characteristics!can!be!used!to!better!model!the!proportions!of!mixed!biogenic/thermogenic!gases!(if!a!hydrothermal!methane!sample!is!a!mixture).!!From!this,!I!think!such!data!collected!from!vent!fluids!in!the!future!could!provide!some!constraints!on!the!hydrology!of!seafloor!systems!(i.e.,!does!sediment"fluid!interaction!occur!during!recharge!or!upflow)!and!will!likely!have!applications!beyond!InterRidge,!to!continental!systems!as!well.!!A!better!understanding!of!where!and!how!methane!is!generated!is!also!critical!to!furthering!studies!on!the!distribution!of!the!subsurface!biosphere.!!!!2.!!Alignment!with!InterRidge!priorities.!!!I!think!this!proposal!is!well!aligned!with!“Hydrothermal!Energy!and!Ocean!Carbon!Cycles”.!!The!data!generated!by!this!experiment!will!refine!constraints!on!methane!production—which!is!a!key!component!of!the!carbon!cycle.!!It!is!critical!to!know!if!methane!is!being!generated!as!“new”!carbon!from!biogenic!processes,!or!if!it!is!derived!from!the!maturation!of!organic!matter.!!Given!how!the!carbon!cycle!also!intersects!with!“Vent!Ecology”,!I!think!the!data!from!this!experimental!study!could!also!be!of!importance!to!the!priorities!of!that!working!group!as!well.!!!!3)!Overall!evaluation!!"!Strongly!supportive!of!the!proposal!!

Review of InterRidge Student Proposal by Kawagucci This proposal requests funding for travel to WHOI to conduct hydrothermal experiments in the laboratory of Dr. Jeffrey Seewald. These experiments would consist of heating marine sediments under simulated hydrothermal conditions, collecting the methane produced and analyzing for 13 CH 4 , 13 C 2 H 6 and D-CH 4in an attempt to better characterize the isotopic range of thermogenically producedmethane and hydrocarbons. The sediments will be poisoned to eliminate the microbialproduction of methane. Dr. Seewald’s lab is well equipped to carry out theseexperiments.The primary source of methane in sedimented hydrothermal systems is often assumed tobe thermogenesis of organic matter in the sediments but some production bymicroorganisms can rarely be ruled out. These experiments will better define the range ofisotopic signatures possible through thermogenesis and will be very beneficial to workersin the field. It is proposed that the results of these experiments be combined with fielddata of Dr. Seewald from Guaymas Basin and Middle Valley and data from the OkinawaTrough held by the proposer. This combination of experimental and field data shouldproduce a very strong publication.I strongly support the funding of this project by InterRidge.